Love's Gift
by CheerfulChemist
Summary: This is an AU story that begins right after "the scene" in Always. The story is told through Castle's eyes. There will be unintended consequences of their passion. The cover image is by Artifex Prime. I call it "Rode Hard and Put Away Wet."
1. Chapter 1

Love's Gift

Chapter 1

Nothing is real to Castle except Kate's hand in his as she leads him to the bedroom. Her eyes meet his as she pushes the shoulder of her top down, revealing pale but bruised skin. She'd told him that she'd almost died. Were the bruises part of it? She lowers herself to the bed, her eyes locked with his. He wants to surround her, let his longing melt into hers, but she's fragile. He supports himself on trembling arms, allowing only their lips to touch.

She pulls him to her, his hardness against the intimate heat that penetrates even through their layers of clothing. She tugs at his shirt, pulling it loose from his pants. The buttons fly as she tears it loose. Her already gaping blouse follows his shirt to the floor. The bra underneath poses only a fleeting obstacle to his lips. She arches, her fingers grasping for his belt. He strips it from its loops. His fingers are desperate to remove the remaining barriers between them. They are skin against skin, but it's not enough - not nearly enough.

Her thighs reveal more bruises left from the battle she fought, and he can't bear the thought of causing her more pain. Rolling, he brings her with him to straddle his groin. She takes him in without hesitation. She is like hot silk around him as she moves above, her rain-soaked hair wildly crowning the fever in her eyes. He reaches for the firm globes, straining for his touch. No signs of injury there, just raw need.

She rides faster, harder, her passion meeting his in ecstatic collision. The pressure rises within him, an explosion that's been building for four years. Her cries echo against the walls as she tightens around him, and he can feel the waves of her release, her spent body collapsing into his. His arms enfold her as the room spins into nothingness.

* * *

His fogged mind resists responding to the alert demanding attention from the pocket of pants that are still on the floor, but the message could mean everything now. Kate stirs against him, grumbling for him to ignore the summons. He can't. That signal would come from only one person, Kate's mysterious guardian. The text is short but terrifying, "they have the package."

If Kate's attacker let her live, now there's no longer anything holding him back. Somehow Castle has to protect her. That means solving the case, but Kate tells him she isn't a cop anymore. She can't go back to the precinct. Neither can Espo. Ryan will be there, but she doesn't know how much he told Gates. They'll have to find out.

They need to meet Ryan somewhere - a place the killer can't reach them. Alexis will be home in a few hours and mother is in the Hamptons. He can't leave his daughter alone, not now. He calls his mother, asking her to come back. He doesn't need to tell her much. She's understood the danger too well for too long.

* * *

They have a VIP suite at the Four Winds, but he couldn't care less about the luxury appointments, and he doesn't dare dull his senses with anything from the expensively stocked minibar. Any minute Ryan should be using the code he gave him to get through the security meant to protect celebrities and heads of state.

The Irish cop looks even paler than usual. His tie is loose, and strands of his hair have escaped their regular discipline. He's carrying Montgomery's wedding album. He flips it open on the over-sized dining table and points to a picture with a face circled in red. Castle recognizes the figure. He's the man from the parking garage; the man who knows the identity of the monster that wants Kate dead. The face is 30 years younger, but it's him.

Ryan has to get back to the precinct before Gates asks too many questions, but Castle and Kate will uncover the man's identity on their own. Who would have known Montgomery that long ago, and who would have owed him enough of a favor to make a deal with the devil? There has to be a clue somewhere.

Thank God the hotel has secure Wi-Fi, a perk on the exclusive floor. Castle connects his laptop to the network. The event they need to uncover may be too insignificant and have happened too long ago to google, but his subscription database gives him access to even the most minor newspaper stories back to the 1800s. He doesn't need ancient history, but he can search the early years of Montgomery's life. If Montgomery did something heroic for his friend, some enterprising stringer might have recorded it in print.

Damn! Who knew there were so many Roy Montgomerys in the world and that they had accomplished so many noteworthy things? There's something from a paper published in the Massachusetts town where Roy liked to go fishing. The blurb is about a boating accident. A yacht went down, and a Roy Montgomery saved a Michael Smith from drowning. The picture is grainy, but it shows a young version of their Roy Montgomery and Kate's protector.

The article doesn't say much about Michael Smith except that he was a rising star in a law firm. Legal cases are on another database, but Castle has a subscription to that one too. He can trace Michael Smith.

Castle's been at it for hours, and his eyes are beginning to blur. Kate slept for a while. She needed it - that and the king-sized bottle of ibuprofen he had the concierge send up. But she's awake now. His muscles relax under the strength of her fingers massaging the knots in his shoulders as he hunches over his keyboard. She asks him if he wants some of the coffee room service delivered. Kate bringing him coffee is a role reversal, but a touching and welcome one.

For the past few years, Michael Smith has made very few appearances in court, but there is a public record of an application to demolish a building he owns. If it hasn't been knocked down yet, there may be a clue there as to where they can find him.

* * *

The early stages of demolition have begun, but Smith still maintains an office on the sixth floor. There's a picture on the wall of the lawyer with some doctors in front of a hospital involved in a suit Castle remembers reading about. The hospital had developed an experimental treatment they'd had to fight the FDA over using it on terminal patients. Smith had been the lead attorney on the case. He'd won it, and several patients had beaten a disease as a result. Smith has his arm around one of the doctors. If that physician is still at the hospital, he might still know how to get in touch with Smith.

Their cab pulls up at the same time as an ambulance. Castle can recognize the battered face of the man being wheeled into emergency. It's Smith. Kate agrees. They identify themselves to the volunteer at the visitor's desk as friends of Michael Smith, who's just been brought in. She tells them that the doctors can only give news to next of kin, but if they want to wait, she'll let them know if Smith is admitted and assigned a room.

At least he can bring Kate coffee the way she likes it from the Java Hut concession in the lobby. The way Smith looked, they may have a long wait before they're allowed to see him. She's pacing the floor when he gets back to her. Maybe he should have ordered decaf, but since he started working with her he hasn't seen her go for less than maximum caffeine - or less than maximum anything. He presses the cup holding the vanilla flavored brew into her hands and wishes that there was something else he could do.


	2. Chapter 2

Love's Gift

Chapter 2

It's painfully clear that Smith was tortured. The tips of his fingers are bandaged. His lips are split and swollen, and his face is tight with pain. "Who's behind this!" Kate demands. "What you know is no longer protecting either one of us. Let me go after him and make us both safe again."

Smith's words are barely intelligible. "You can't. I underestimated him. He has too much power, too much protection. He will kill us both. If I make it out of here, I'm going to disappear. Your only hope is to do the same."

Kate grits out: "Just give me a name!"

Smith's lips come together as if to form the letter "B," but his body goes limp. The monitor at his bedside screams.

A nurse rushes into the room, quickly taking in the flat line on the screen. She punches her fist against a button on the wall. "You'll have to leave." Feet are running toward the room. Kate and Castle are pushed back into the hall, but he can hear the sounds of Smith's heart being shocked.

Smith is dead. All they have is the first letter of a monster's name. Kate's words are expelled like a sob: "It will have to be enough."

When Johanna Beckett was killed, B must have had enough power to control Raglan, McCallister, and Montgomery. He has the juice now to run financials on prison guards and maintain moles in the department. He's someone who would have been restrained by whatever Montgomery had on him - someone with even higher ambitions.

Maybe Evelyn heard or saw something. If she did, she and the kids are in danger too, and the only way to protect them is to find out who B is and gather the evidence they need to send him to hell.

* * *

There's a "For Sale" sign in front of the Montgomery home and Evelyn is keeping Roy's 357 within easy reach. Long before Evelyn admits that she will never feel safe in that house again, Castle can see it in her eyes. She's already sent the kids to stay with her sister in Nevada. She would have sent them even farther away if she could.

She can remember a few B's, fellow cops, but they're retired on pensions. There was a man she saw only once, almost 20 years ago. He was with Roy in his study. Her husband had expected her to be out that afternoon, but there had been a small fire in a neighboring office, and all the occupants of the business complex where she worked had been evacuated. Roy had called his visitor Bracken. She had no idea who he was at the time, but she'd seen him in a political ad not long afterward. She thought he was running for Congress then. Now she believes he's a senator.

She's right, Senator William Bracken. Bob Weldon had mentioned him a couple of times as being a power player, whose Super PAC seemed to have access to almost unlimited funds. Bracken sits on the Intelligence Committee. He could have a web of covert connections. Castle can understand why Smith wanted to run. He'd consider it himself if he thought there were a chance in hell that Kate would agree - and he could be sure that his family would be safe. But he can't be sure of anything except that they'll have to take Bracken down, anyway they can.

Castle will turn again to the thing he's always depended on, the thing that's brought them this far, his skill at research. Bracken is a public figure, and public figure have a documented history, no matter how well covered up. He and Kate need a place to dig into it, a place with lots of company. They can let the lions at the entrance to the New York Public Library stand guard.

* * *

Castle runs his hand over a familiar feline head as he and Kate approach the stairs, drawing comfort from the sun-warmed stone. Some of Bracken's early history is still on microfiche, but Castle operates a reader with the familiarity of long use.

Bracken was an athlete, not big enough for football or basketball, but he learned to hit hard. A tennis scholarship bought him a free ride to Walter Murchison, a university favored by the sons and daughters of the monied powers behind political thrones. From there he went to George Washington University Law School, where he could continue forging relationships in seats of power. He became D.A. in New York during the time Raglan, McCallister and Montgomery turned vigilante. He uncovered their secret and set Pulgatti up to take the fall for Bob Armen's death. Then, when Johanna Beckett dug into it, he had her and everyone who worked with her killed. He couldn't have done all that without leaving a trail.

Castle can see a realization dawn on Kate's face. Rathborne! Bracken was paying Dick Coonan to be his hit-man. Coonan had an offshore account, and they know what it was because Castle transferred $100,000 into it. Transactions with Coonan should link back to Bracken, implicating the Senator in at least five murders - including the stabbing death of Kate's mother. They can't get into the banking database as civilians. They'll need more help from Ryan.

* * *

Ryan's off shift, so he doesn't have to worry about accounting for his whereabouts to Gates, but log-ons to the banking database are recorded. If he doesn't have a sufficient explanation, he could be in real hot water. Ryan's a bro. As far as he's concerned, solving murders and Kate's shooting is more than explanation enough. There were five transactions to Rathborne's account, right before Johanna Beckett's death. They came from a bank in Cypress known for money laundering, from the account of W.H. Bracken.

There's more. Transfers to the Cypress account came from one in the United States, also established by Bracken before his first congressional campaign. He had more money than any D. A. should have earned. The transactions happened too long ago to open an investigation for graft, but the press has no statute of limitations. Castle just has to figure out how to leak the story without endangering Kate.

He knows a guy. Jameson Rook may be Castle's alter ego, but his history as a journalist is built around Harvey Bernstein. Mild, appearing nonthreatening, despite possessing a seventh-degree black belt in karate, Harvey is able to coax information out of almost anyone. He's also managed to survive while embedded in numerous conflicts overseas. If anyone can help them follow the trail of a crooked D.A. turned Senator, it's Harvey. And he will find the promise of a blockbuster scoop irresistible.

* * *

The gaze Harvey is giving Kate over the Kung Pao chicken in their high-walled booth at the Dragon Palace is a bit too appreciative for Castle's comfort, but Kate isn't paying any attention to it anyway. She's concentrating on what Harvey can get on Bracken. The journalist explains that he's done some preliminary digging. There were a few whispers about D.A. Bracken being crooked, but after an A.D.A. ended up under the wheels of a garbage truck, they had become muted. Bracken dealt in fear then, and is still doing it, but there was a woman Harvey had known when he was embedded with the troops in Iraq. She's become an aide in the office of another member of the Intelligence Committee and is clean as far as Harvey knows. He can set up a meeting, but it will have to be in D.C.

* * *

Castle and Kate will be making the trip on the train, with plenty of other passengers and no high ground for a sniper. He's willing to go with Kate wherever the investigation takes them, but he has something to do first. He needs to send Alexis and his mother to Europe. Neither one of them will object to a shopping trip in Paris, where his old friend Gaston can keep an eye on them and Castle will know that they're out of the line of fire.

The express for Washington will be leaving first thing in the morning. Neither he nor Kate will be able to get much sleep, but they can spend the night in each other's arms.


	3. Chapter 3

Love's Gift

Chapter 3

The mattress at the Four Winds has the perfect firmness. Everything else in the suite is excellent too, but Castle wishes he could have Kate with him in his own bed in the loft. When this is all over, he will. He'll let the scent of her cling to his sheets. He wants to see her and feel everywhere, to make his home hers.

Now she's tossing fitfully in the circle of his arms. They'll both need to be up in a few hours to make it to Penn Station in time to catch their train. The terminal is one of his favorite places for idle imaginings. He often pictures Lex Luther's movie lair in the abandoned levels below. But any visions he has now are tinged with the horror of Kate's blood-drenched uniform as he declared his love for her.

She still hadn't said it back. She wants him, and she needs him, but the "L" word has yet to come to her lips. It could be like the old Meatloaf song, "Two Outa Three Ain't Bad," but aside from the atrocious grammar, he can't entirely agree with the sentiment. At times both of his wives wanted him. As far as the charges on his credit card went, they certainly needed him, but he's not sure there was ever any love there - not the kind that overwhelms him every time he looks at or even thinks about Kate. There's no way he can lose her now, not when they're so close to making a life together.

He closes his eyes just feeling the warm satin of her sleep-shirt against the bare skin of his chest. Pressing his lips softly to her hair, he drifts on the edge of consciousness until the alarm on his phone jolts him to awareness.

Kate is already up. He can hear the water running in the double shower. He'd like to join her, but if he sees her now, soaked as she was when she came to him out of the storm, they'll never make their train. He'll use the facilities after she's finished, but he can call room service in the meantime. They offer several choices of brews. He decides that the bitter edge of Arabica will give them the charge the need to conquer the day. He also makes sure the server will bring the nonfat milk that Kate likes, even if she doesn't have an ounce to spare on her slim figure.

* * *

Castle pays cash for the tickets to avoid leaving a trail. The train is crowded; that's good. Even as an express, the transport hardly moves at high speed. In a bullet train, the trip would take half the time or less, but even on this lumbering antique they'll still be there early enough to make their meeting with Amy Barrett.

He finds a picture of her online with Senator Lehmann. She's a full-figured attractive brunette, and he doubts that the intelligence he can see in her eyes will miss anything. If Bracken has any covert connections, she's in a position to know about them.

* * *

He and Kate meet Amy in a bagel shop not far from the Senate offices. DC bagels have nothing on the ones from New York, but at least they're fresh. He can use the energy and so can Kate. Her bruises have begun to fade, but she's still moving gingerly. Maddox did a real job on her. Bracken will have to fall, but Castle's going to see Maddox behind bars - or dead - before the affair is finished.

As he passes the cream cheese across the table, Amy presses a flash drive into his palm. Her eyes flick toward two men in suits seated nearby. He nods his understanding that they may be overheard.

Amy begins a casual conversation about Harvey and how well they knew each other and how interested she is in meeting another accomplished writer - especially one that deals in intelligence issues. Kate's caught on and joins in the discussion of the difficulties of achieving realism in spy stories. It's apparent that Amy has no idea that Castle actually worked with the CIA, or at least if she does, she's not about to let on. Castle slips the drive into his pocket, where it will burn a hole until he and Kate can return to New York and access its secrets.

Despite the amenities of business class seating, the ride back to the city seems interminable. He tries to pass the time by people-watching, but every move the passengers around him make is taking on an ominous quality. He's grateful to reach the Four Winds and even more so to get Kate back to their suite.

* * *

Kate's stiffened up during the trip, but she vetoes his suggestion of a hot shower. She seems even more anxious to explore the contents of Amy's drive than he is - if that's possible. It's clear from the collection of documents that Senator Lehmann has his own doubts about Senator Bracken, feeling that some of his votes in closed session, particularly regarding surveillance of the drug trade out of Afghanistan, have been suspicious.

That makes sense. Bracken was allied with Coonan and could have developed ties with whoever took over Coonan's territory after Kate shot him. Drugs would also explain the availability of large amounts of cash to the Super PAC supporting Bracken's political efforts.

With Johnny Vong and his videos out of the picture, Bracken must have another method for bringing drugs into the U.S. and distributing them. With Vong's operation uncovered, the route through Hong Kong has most likely been abandoned.

A call to Ryan confirms that most of his friends in Narcotics believe that much of the heroin is now being sent to The Philippines before being shipped to the United States. The bloody executions of drug dealers by the strongman ruling the country provide perfect cover. From there, the heroin finds its way to processing centers in Washington Heights and the Bronx to be cut and bagged. They believe that Vulcan Simmons is involved but have yet to gather any evidence that will stand up in court.

Kate pales at the mention of the name of the man who baited her with his grinning insistence that her mother died in an alley like the trash she was. Castle can feel the fury vibrating through Kate's body as he draws her against his side. The smug bastard knew who was behind Johanna's killing all along. Simmons' operation is the key. Drug distributors require a workforce of packagers and dealers. Somewhere there's got to be a weak link, and they're going to find it.

Exhaustion is beginning to fog Castle's brain. Things can't be any better for Kate. They both need rest but are too wired to sleep. Maybe now they can take that hot shower together.

Castle recognizes the body wash in the hotel's array of opulent toiletries. It's scented with spice and a hint of cherry. The luxurious balm has never been his choice, but it seems perfect for salving the angry remnants of combat that violate Kate's skin. He rubs some between his palms to warm it before massaging it on her spray-slicked shoulders. His hands slide down her back almost of their own volition. Kate is leaning into him, moist and hot against his growing arousal. She wraps her endless legs around him as he lifts her, bracing her against the back wall of the enclosure. Her head falls back, water dripping from the strands of her hair to fall in drops to the shower floor. The pelting stream eases their joining as he penetrates more deeply, his urgency rattling the glass around them. Their lips crash together, tongues fencing for final glory. He can feel her legs tighten, as her body convulses before falling limp in his arms.

Barely remembering to turn off the water, he grabs the thick towels that housekeeping has stacked nearby. Half-dry, he and Kate fall into bed for the vital respite of slumber.


	4. Chapter 4

Love's Gift

Chapter 4

Castle's not crazy about the rental car. His head is almost against the roof, and cigarette smoke has permeated the fabric of the seats so thoroughly that the stench is impossible to remove or mask. Still, he was able to pay the fee and deposit in cash with no questions asked. None of Bracken's eyes, even those in the department, will be able to trace it to him and Kate.

They're staking out what Narcotics believes to be Simmons' base of operations, a body shop in Washington Heights. The cars that have been in and out don't appear to have sustained any damage, especially not a vintage Cadillac, a model with enough trunk space to easily accomodate a body. They have yet to spot Simmons, but the tinted glass in the Caddy prevented them from seeing either the driver or any passengers. They'll need to get in, but that means establishing a schedule to determine when, if ever, the building will be unoccupied.

Castle is amusing himself with fantasies of dropping Mission Impossible style through a skylight - except that there isn't one. As far as he can tell, there are also very few windows, and they are shielded by stout bars. He can only speculate as to why the repair shop would need a loading dock, but it has one. The roll-up metal door abutting it opens by a code punched into a keypad, and Castle has a gadget that Powell recommended which will help him and Kate get in - if they get the chance.

Kate is shifting uncomfortably in the passenger seat, her body still recovering from Maddox's beating. He's wondering if there's a chance Maddox might show up here. It's more likely the man might surface floating in the East River, having failed in his mission to take Kate out of the picture. If he does, Lanie will let Kate know.

There is a visitor both Castle and Kate recognize simultaneously. It's Trucho, the drug dealer from the Latin Kings who tried to invade Westie Territory. Apparently, he's either liaising with Simmons' organization or has joined it outright. The former choice is more likely. From what Castle's learned of gangs, generally, the only way someone, especially someone like Trucho, leaves is feet first. Both he and Kate know from experience that Trucho can keep his mouth shut to cops, even after getting his face bashed in, but it's that possible he might talk to someone more - affectionate. Kate suggests that Trucho is just the type to build up his importance to impress a woman. If they follow him, they could stumble on his weak spot.

Before they leave, Castle manages to plant a micro camera to capture the comings and goings from the building. It will be undetectable to a sweep and only broadcast in a burst when he triggers it - one of many tricks he picked up doing research for Derrick Storm. When he and Kate examine the feed, they'll be able to figure out if there's a chance they can survive breaking into the building. Trucho is their best opportunity for a lead while they wait for Castle's electronic minion to complete its mission.

* * *

Trucho is a busy guy. He makes the rounds of Latin King's territory, handing off packages that Kate is willing to bet contain carefully metered bags of heroin. He stops for lunch at a tortilleria that Castle makes a note to try when Kate's life ceases to be on the line, then continues making his calls through early evening.

Kate notes that the diminutive dealer has slicked back his hair and changed his jacket before his next stop, a brownstone on the edge of Spanish Harlem. She makes a call to Ryan to see if the N.Y.P.D. has anything on the place. When she hears the cop's response, her face is lighting up in a way Castle hasn't seen in days. The building houses a brothel, one Vice raids every so often but goes right back into operation as soon as bail is posted for the working women. If there's any time a man will spill his secrets, it's when he's anxious to spill something else. Trucho is in there for an hour, more than long enough to let go of the tension of the day's activities and spout whatever tales his partner will pretend stoke her interest.

* * *

Without a badge, Kate can't barge in and demand information. Castle has another idea. The joy fades from Kate's face at his proposal, but she's at a loss for a better plan.

The receptionist at the front desk gives Castle a dubious stare. His display of a wad of cash and claim of seeking some fun outside his normal stomping grounds convinces her to accept him as a client. He requests the services of the woman recommended by his "friend," Trucho.

As taste in ladies of the night goes, Trucho's isn't bad. Krystal is attractive, although no match for Kate. She's clean and also able to present him with medical certification of freedom from STD's. She also possesses an impressive array of condoms. Hopefully that means she didn't pick up any new bugs from Trucho, but Castle's not there for sex. After Kate, he can't imagine being satisfied by another woman. He paid generously upfront but offers more bills for information.

Trucho couldn't wait to boast of his new status in the Latin Kings, dealing directly with Simmons. There's no way of knowing how much of what he bragged to Krystal is true, but it confirms Simmons' involvement with the drug trade out of the shop in Washington Heights. The next step is to let the camera run through the night, retrieve the data and formulate a plan for searching Simmons' headquarters.

* * *

Kate is starved - a good sign that she's healing - and Castle is feeling pretty empty himself. He suggests a Chateaubriand, but Kate is more in the mood for a thick burger and the thickest cut steak fries they can find. That's more the style of Remy's than room service at the Four Winds, but the concierge is willing to oblige. For a healthy enough tip, he's ready to oblige almost anything.

Kate is jamming a wedge of potato into a deep pool of ketchup. Castle can read the signs. She's out for blood. With the flash of pain that strikes him every time he sees another bruise marring her skin, he'd be ecstatic to shed some himself, but if they make a move before they're ready, the vital fluid that's spilled will be their own. That means making it through what will be a very long night.

The hotel subscribes to almost every streaming service known to man and makes them available to VIP customers for viewing on a 60-inch screen. Kate suggests the double feature of the John Woo movies they never saw together, in all its bloody glory. A nacho platter and a bottle of Wildhaven Untamed Red Blend will get them halfway to morning. After that, they'll just have to see what comes next.

Kate's asleep on his shoulder just before the final credits roll. He turns off the movie and carries her to the king-sized bed that the housekeeping staff has made up to perfection. It's too much perfection. He loves to see the signs of Kate's presence; the imprint of her head on a pillow; sheets tangled by love's pursuits. Still, she looks beautiful lying there, her hair splayed around a face temporarily at peace. Stripping to his T-shirt and shorts, he climbs in beside her, close enough to feel the warmth emanating from her skin. The day that will greet them in a few hours will be perilous, but he can't dream of ever wanting to be anywhere but at her side.


	5. Chapter 5

Love's Gift

Chapter 5

Although they're both dressed in dark clothes to camouflage themselves in the pre-dawn shadows, Kate suggests that she should be the one to retrieve the camera. She points out that she's moving better now and will present a smaller profile. Castle hesitantly agrees but watches her every move through infrared goggles. She rapidly returns to the car with the tiny hardware. Castle drives a mile from Simmons' headquarters before pulling over to broadcast the contents of the camera's memory cache to the tablet Kate holds.

She scans through the images as Castle takes the quickest route back to the Four Winds. Even in the very early morning, commuters are already on their way to work, clogging the streets. She's halfway through her search by the time they return to their suite, and they can throw the video up on the big screen.

There is a steady stream of arrivals and departures until 1 a.m. when they slack off. By two, when the Cadillac leaves, traffic comes to a halt and remains at zero until Kate retrieves the camera. Kate proposes that the best time to search for connections between Simmons and Bracken will be 3 a.m. the next morning. If anyone is left inside, they will most likely be asleep or off their guard.

Castle wants more assurance than that, insisting that she and preferably both of them should be armed. Kate reminds him that she had to turn in her weapon to Gates, but she does have a backup in the safe in her apartment if they can get in without being observed.

Castle suggests that they spend the day driving to and from Vermont where they can pick up guns with few questions asked. It will be illegal to carry them in the city, but they can either ditch them or cope with that later. In any case, since she's no longer employed by the department, it would be illegal for Kate to carry her back up without a permit, too. He coaxes a smile from her lips when he adds that in Vermont they might be able to pick up a better grade of maple syrup than what the hotel provides to top their pancakes. They can also find the nut rolls that are only sold at the highway rest stops.

Kate is convinced that she can make the 340-mile drive to Vermont faster than Castle can, but grudgingly agrees to share time behind the wheel to give them both a chance to grab some extra rest. She insists on taking the first leg, weaving through city traffic. Once they leave the confines of the Metropolitan sprawl, most of the cars are headed in the opposite direction. Kate's foot is just light enough to avoid attracting the attention of the State Troopers. With her phone tethered to the car's power socket, she floods the interior with her favorite jazz mix, letting the cool sounds of Coltrane wash over them both. Castle could do with more legroom - or any kind of room - but he's trying his best to doze off until it's his turn to take over driving duties.

* * *

His eyes open on the parking lot of a Stookey's, complete with a giant pecan log on the roof. At that moment he would have been happier to see a giant hot dog, but with any luck, the highway travelers' haven will have those too. It does, topped with chili that drips over the sides to be caught by the ruffled cardboard boat that cradles its questionably nutritious cargo. Kate winks at him as she skips the onions and he quickly decides to do the same.

Fortified by their snack, Castle takes over as wheel man for the last leg of their trip to a gun shop just over the Vermont border. He feels a hint of pride when Kate decides on two Sig Sauers, Nikki Heat's weapon of choice. In answer to Castle's question, the clerk informs them that there is a store that sells locally produced maple syrup, right down the road.

* * *

With her gun tucked securely into her jacket, Kate sleeps through much of Castle's shift driving back to the city. They've been gone for 14 hours and use the time remaining before they'll make their raid, to go over their plan. They'll be scoping out the area around the body shop using Castle's night vision equipment before he employs Powell's electronic key on the roll-up door. Once they're in, they'll be winging it. The deepening furrows in her forehead tell Castle how much Kate hates going in so unprepared, but they have no choice. They'll be using tightly beamed Mag Lites, to lessen their chance of discovery as much as possible, but Castle is becoming increasingly grateful that they'll have firepower.

* * *

The street around Simmons' headquarters is quiet. It takes Castle two tries to deactivate the locking mechanism, but the door rolls smoothly upward. At least Simmons or his lackeys keep the machinery well-greased. The first thing Castle notices are snores emanating from a back room, but no one is guarding the office space. Kate unnecessarily puts her finger to her lips as a signal for silence. There's a computer on the desk. Castle quickly discovers that it unfortunately requires a password. There's also a row of file cabinets. It makes sense for Simmons to keep his records that way. Dead tree versions can't be hacked and can be shredded or burned. Kate's meaning is clear when she mouths "B." She's paging through a cache of documents bearing Bracken's name. They don't dare risk alerting Simmons by taking anything. Kate and Castle photograph pages as hastily as they can. They've almost finished when the snoring stops, and they can hear water running. Kate captures one last image and points back toward the door. Light leaks out a window of Simmons' lair just as they make it back to their car. Kate immediately pulls away from the curb.

They're 10 blocks south before Castle releases a breath. Even at the speed he reads, he had very little time to take in what was in any of the Bracken files, but he did catch the word "shipments." With any luck, they'll have enough to tie Bracken to the drug trade - and everything else connected to it. He scans through the images on his phone, barely able to keep from bouncing in his seat as reads names and dates to Kate.

She pours a little cold water on his glee when she reminds him that since what they have was obtained illegally, it can't be used in court. Castle doesn't stay wet long. He suggests that someone might just anonymously turn a sheet or two, enough for probable cause for a warrant, over to Ryan's friend in Narcotics. But first, they'll make sure everything goes to Harvey Bernstein, who won't have to worry about satisfying the demands of a judge.

* * *

The ride up to their suite in the VIP elevator has never been longer or has the green light lit more slowly than when Castle scans his keycard. He barely remembers to flip the privacy latch before Kate pulls at the zipper of his jacket.

They're still shedding clothes - and weapons - when they make it to the bed. Their lips meet in a blaze of heat as their bodies collide on the brocaded satin of the bed covering. Castle is starved for the taste of Kate. Even is his fever, he's careful of the fading colors that remain from her rooftop battle, but she's grasping at him with abandon, both hands taking a firm hold in the firm muscle above his thighs, pulling him toward her. He can feel her breath catch as she envelops him. He stops for a moment, afraid he might have gone too fast too hard, but her mouth is greedy on his, and her heels press against his calves in urgent demand.

As upscale as it is, the bed is still protesting loudly, but the sound barely impinges on Castle's awareness. He wouldn't care if it did. There's Kate, only Kate, wrapped around him in a world all their own.

A/N In 2018 Vermont passed a law requiring background checks for gun buyers, but at the time this would have taken place, there was no such law.


	6. Chapter 6

Love's Gift

Chapter 6

Harvey Bernstein is showing no signs of excitement except for the gleam in his mild eyes and the way he's rubbing his thumb over the handle of his fork. Still, Castle knows from experience that the man is on the edge of his seat as Kate runs down the details of Senator Bracken's participation in the drug trade and his connections with Vulcan Simmons. Castle passes a flash drive across their table in the back of The Pasta Palace, assuring the reporter that all the documentation is there.

Harvey casually slips the precious cargo into his pocket and twirls linguini against the side of his bowl. Castle wants to know what the journalist is going to do. Smiling and sprinkling extra Romano cheese over his entre, Harvey explains that he's planning to disappear into his private hidey hole while he writes the piece and until Bracken is safely behind bars. He tells Castle that he can leave messages in the usual way.

Kate shoots Castle a querying glance, but he ignores it, just nodding his head at Harvey. Hurriedly finishing his meal, Harvey slips out the rear exit, leaving Castle with the check and Kate with questions. Castle just shakes his head, puts a stack of bills on the table and points toward the front door.

Lamenting that they didn't order the tiramisu, Castle strides toward the car. Slamming her door, Kate demands an explanation. Castle sheepishly confesses that he communicates with Harvey by leaving coded messages on a Justin Bieber fan site. In between Kate's giggles, he explains that the site is considered harmless by most foreign governments and is accessible throughout the world. Castle has no idea where Harvey goes to ground but tells Kate that so far, the reporter has been able to duck any vengeance from incensed subjects of his exposés. Wryly he wishes that Harvey could lend his skills to them.

She points to the glove box where she's stowed her gun, declaring that they'll be fine. Castle wishes he had her surety. He wonders aloud what information they want to get to Narcotics and how they want to get it there. Kate suggests using the hotel's business center to produce a hardcopy, putting it in an envelope with no back address and slipping it in a random mailbox. She points out that they'll need to wear gloves and avoid licking the missive's closure, to make sure Narcotics can swear their source truly is anonymous. Castle's beginning to feel like he's back in the CIA. All of this may make for a good book - Rogue Heat.

* * *

To replenish his dwindling cash supply, Castle chooses a branch of his bank as far as possible from the hotel. He has more money in a safe in the loft, but if Maddox or any of Bracken's other minions is searching for either Kate or him, his Manhattan home is one of the places they'd keep under surveillance.

After a quick trip to a mega-drugstore for gloves, Castle and Kate are returning to the car when he hears clicks of a gun and feels the cold metal of a muzzle against his neck. A mocking voice sneers that he'd better not get any ideas about being brave in front of his girlfriend but should just hand over the money. Kate's leg seems to move at the speed of light as she kicks the gun out of the man's hand and knocks him to the ground. Castle puts a knee in the would-be robber's back while Kate picks up the man's weapon. Kate examines the gun and chortles, totally confusing Castle - until she reveals that the gun is a harmless prop.

The thief begins to sob, swearing that he would never really hurt anyone and explaining that he's an out of work actor. He'd drawn his last 50 bucks out of the bank while Castle was there. He recognized the best-selling author and figured that parting with the money wouldn't mean that much to a millionaire. An idea coalesces in Castle's brain. He asks the distraught thespian if he'd like a better role than hapless brigand.

* * *

Kate and Castle watch from across the street. hoping that the actor has his lines down, as Raleigh Wadsworth strolls into the 23rd Precinct. Raleigh's supposed to claim that a man handed him a thick envelope, gave him a thousand bucks and asked him to deliver the parcel to the police. The description of the mysterious tipster he'll offer will be vague, consisting mostly of a face concealed by a baseball cap and sunglasses, but he'll note that despite the heat, the man was wearing gloves. Much of the story Raleigh tells will be true, he'll just fail to mention that he saw Castle put on the gloves and disguise. He'll also leave out any mention of Kate.

* * *

Raleigh joins Kate and Castle in a pocket park three blocks from the precinct and hands Castle a receipt documenting that the envelope was delivered to a Sergeant Casey of Narcotics. Castle gives him another one, containing an extra $500 and a contact in the office of Martha's agent. Detecting the almost imperceptible tugs at the corners of her mouth, Castle decides that Kate is fighting hard to maintain her stern cop-like demeanor. She warns Raleigh that if he ever tries to pull another stunt like he tried to pull on Castle, or gets into any kind of trouble at all, he'll be looking at a lot worse than a kick in the head. She breaks into a grin as soon as Raleigh disappears into the subway entrance. Pulling her cell phone from the pocket of her slacks, she texts Ryan, urging him to call Casey and assure his friend that the papers he received from Raleigh are on the level.

Now, there's nothing to do but wait until Narcotics makes its move on Simmons and Harvey's story hits the wire service. Castle senses that Kate is too wound up to sit and wait for anything. She needs a heavy-duty distraction, and he doubts that dinner and a movie will fill the bill. A recollection hits him of her confession of a passion for roller coasters, specifically the historic Cyclone. Wandering among the fun-seeking crowds at Coney Island could be exactly the thing they need. They'll just be another couple looking for adventure - and he has sudden yen for funnel cake.

* * *

Kate doesn't seem much like a free-wheeling beachcomber as they wander along the sand after multiple rides on the Cyclone, and Castle's self-indulgence at a food concession. He wonders if she's envisioning the time she and her father spent there after her mother's funeral. Kate shakes her head, admitting that she was thinking about something else, a concern triggered when they were in the drugstore. She's late - and not for an appointment. Castle is sure that Kate's never mentioned anything about that aspect of her femininity before, but remembers that with Meredith and Gina, there were things that could disturb their cycles. The realization hits him like an electric shock that with Meredith, the disturbance had been Alexis. Suddenly, he's at least as anxious to know what's going on as Kate is.

* * *

The test kits at the all-night pharmacy claim 99 percent accuracy, but Castle insists on purchasing several, just to be sure. The results are all the same. Kate's pregnant. She's carrying his very recently conceived child. More than ever, he needs to keep her safe at all costs. He's even more grateful for their trip to Vermont, and if New York wants to throw him in jail for packing heat illegally, it will be worth it to protect his family. But there may be something else he can do. The CIA has safe houses, and the Company owes him - and Kate - a lot. Harvey is not the only one who can receive coded messages.


	7. Chapter 7

Love's Gift

Chapter 7

The amenities at the safe house are nowhere up to the standards of the Four Winds, but the steel shutters on the windows, bullet-proof doors and 360-degree electronic surveillance system more than make up for any other failings. Castle has Agent Danberg's assurance that a security team would be keeping an eye on the place, but if one is, it's more highly skilled than the guard details of the N.Y.P.D. Neither Castle nor Kate is been able to spot them. Castle had portrayed Derrick Storm as a driver of Ford sedans because unlike the FBI and Secret Service, the CIA has no passion for hulking black SUVs. Whatever vehicle an operative uses for transportation, would not draw any attention to itself.

Before taking up residence, Kate was examined and retested by Lanie. There is no doubt about her pregnancy, and except for the remnants of her injuries from her battle with Maddox, Lanie declared Kate healthy. Castle regards it as his responsibility to keep her that way.

The internet connection is old-style Ethernet: shielded, encrypted, and resistant to eavesdropping. The CIA has also provided a secure phone. Without revealing much else, Danberg disclosed to Castle and Kate that the CIA had been aware of Bracken's overseas drug connection for some time, but since no espionage appeared to be involved, hadn't acted on the information. Danberg indicated that the intelligence would routinely have been relayed to agencies concerned, but that he was unaware of any contemplation of action on the information by any of them. Castle suspects that with Bracken's status as a member of the intelligence committee, if an investigation into his drug connections had been proposed, the senator would have used his power to quash it.

* * *

The internet connection isn't the only feature of the safe house dating back to an earlier time. There is no television, either broadcast or cable and no video streaming, except on a computer hardwired to the net, but there is an ancient VCR hooked up to a somewhat less dated flat-screen TV. The collection of taped movies and television shows dates from the fifties through the nineties. Kate and Castle immediately settle on a rewatch of _Forbidden Planet_. Castle proposes a game, making lists of shows on which the actors in the movie ended up and of homage played to elements in the film by other projects. Neither of them will have access to IMDB or any other reference material. They'll have to figure it out strictly from memory.

They glory in watching Leslie Nielsen portray the stern and prudish Commander Adams who was so different from the roles that naturally followed the actor's comedic tour de force in _Airplane_. Castle notes that Warren Stevens as 'Doc," is a double threat. Not only had the scene of him using a brain enhancer been adapted for use by "Bones," on _Star Trek_ , but Stevens had played an alien on the pioneering science fiction series as well. Kate knows Jack Kelley from watching old episodes of the TV western, _Maverick_. Castle opines that cook, Earl Holliman, was a lucky man to have co-starred with Angie Dickenson in _Police Woman_. They both note the similarities of both the movie's ship and robot to the ones used in the _Lost in Space_ TV series. Kate surges ahead of Castle out when she notices the endless levels of underground alien technology presaging the ones generated for a scene with Sinclair and Ivanova in _Babylon 5_. He more than evens the score by pointing out that Chief Quinn, Richard Anderson is so ubiquitous on television that he was in both the _Six Million Dollar Man_ and the _Bionic Woman_ , as well as the short-lived _Cover-up_ , and even played a detective on the original _Perry Mason_ series. Grabbing the last handful of microwave popcorn, Kate triumphantly announces that Anderson was also in the movie _The Student Prince_ , together with John Ericson who co-starred in _Honey West_ with Anne Francis who played Commander Adams' love interest, Altaira. An appreciative Castle bows his obeisance, grabbing a quick salt and butter flavored kiss before going to the kitchen to make another batch of their snack.

After rejoining Kate for a marathon of _Saved by the Bell_ , Castle checks the computer for any breaking of a story by Harvey Bernstein. Nothing comes up but a blurb from Buzzfeed that a startling exposé of a prominent political figure will appear soon. He crosses his fingers that the reference is to Harvey's article. He'd make a toast when he finds an online scoop from The Ledger describing the bust of a major drug operation in Washington Heights - if he had any wine and Kate wasn't pregnant. That night, bottled water to accompany meat patties of questionable provenance and only slightly limp oven-baked fries will have to serve as an impromptu celebration.

Fry in hand, Kate declares that she would bet that Simmons will flip on Bracken or anyone else just to save his own fat ass. She's just hoping that the N.Y.P.D. can keep him alive long enough to testify. After that, he can spend the rest of his days in the darkest, deepest, hole the State of New York can provide.

* * *

The double bed in the safe house isn't too lumpy, if narrower than the king-sized ones at the loft and the Four Winds. Castle can't fall asleep anyway unless Kate is in the circle of his arms, and the melding of their bodies fits the space perfectly. He can feel their breathing sync as they spoon. It is months too soon for a baby-bump to appear, but he can detect a subtle change in her scent, compelling him to hold her even closer, as he drifts into dreams of their future together.

* * *

Distracted from his breakfast pancakes, Castle stares at Kate's hand as she unconsciously pushes a strand of hair behind her left ear. Her ring finger is bare - too bare. A CIA safe house is not the place for a proposal - even if he'd had a chance to get a ring. He silently vows that other than calling Alexis and Martha back from Europe, a visit to a jeweler will be the first order of business when he and Kate can emerge from their armored refuge. He knows just which gem merchant carries the type of treasures he wants to offer to Kate. The precious stone's blaze will represent the eternal promise of his heart, in a way unlike any token, no matter how expensive, he's ever given anyone before.

Meredith had wanted the glitteriest bauble they could find at Tiffany's. Gina's diamond had been flawless and perfectly cut but possessed an iciness that matched her character. Kate is a woman of fire and will have to have a ring to match. He can picture the inner brilliance of sapphires or even the emerald flash that lights her ordinarily hazel eyes when she's in the grip of passion. But the choice will be hers, as it was to come to him out of the storm. He wants to give her everything, yet he knows how much she values her independence.

As frustrating as her dogged self-reliance has been at times, it's one of the things he both loves and respects the most about her. He has no idea what role in the world she's imagining for herself in the years ahead now that she's left the police force. She hasn't mentioned any plans. With a killer on her tail, she may not be thinking about anything except staying alive. His mind fills with images of a wedding, cutting an umbilical cord, and holding an infant in his arms. He'll accept whatever future unfolds, as long as Kate and the baby are safe and at his side.


	8. Chapter 8

Love's Gift

Chapter 8

Castle looks unnecessarily at the calendar on his watch. It's the same date as it was five minutes before, and there's no sign of an article from Harvey Bernstein. It's early yet, only six a. m. Kate is still asleep, having tossed restlessly through much of the night. Slumber had come even less easily to Castle, who finally surrendered and got up to monitor the computer. He doesn't really need to. He's managed to program an alert that will make a wave file of the Enterprise's red alert klaxon blare through the safe house if anything from Harvey surfaces, but he still can't stop checking for himself.

Sound blasts his ears just as his fingers reach the keyboard and he feels Kate touch his shoulder while he's scanning through the pages of Harvey's prose, on Buzzfeed. It's all there, citations of every document proving Bracken's responsibility for the enslavement of thousands of victims to drugs. Kate asks Castle to switch to ZNN's website. The highlights of Harvey's article are displayed on the landing page. It's the same with almost all the other major news outlets.

The secure phone beeps with a text from Danberg. The CIA is coordinating with the Drug Enforcement Administration to close in on Bracken's drug operations in Afghanistan and the U.S. The FBI has also been notified to go after Bracken himself.

* * *

Kate is chewing her lip, not comforted by Danberg's message. It's painfully clear that Bracken is still in the wind. Until he's behind bars, she and Castle are still stuck in what's become a prison of their own - regardless of the kitsch of the video library. Bracken may also still have control of his operatives, including Maddox.

Castle wishes he had the equipment to whisk egg whites for the waffles he's trying to use to tempt Kate to eat breakfast. He could use something to beat right now. Unfortunately, these cratered breakfast breads are a variety that he hasn't sunk to popping in the toaster since _In a Hail of Bullets_ hit the best-seller list. At least someone at the CIA thought to provide syrup, even if it isn't Vermont's finest.

For the past couple of days, Kate has been craving sweets, and he hasn't had much to offer her. He cobbled together cookies from flour and shortening of questionable age and a lumpy bag of sugar he had to bang against the floor, but he is far from having the provisions to pamper his pregnant lover.

Kate's not complaining, but that's not the point. There has to be a way to close in on Bracken - or draw him out - now, without endangering Kate. A plan forms in his mind, and he accesses the Justin Bieber fan site – then decides to shower off the sweat that coated his skin while he typed his message to Harvey. There's no room for two in the safe house's cramped bathroom. It's just as well. Right now, the knotted muscles in his neck can use a good soaking with as much hot water as the small water heater can supply.

* * *

By the time Castle returns to the computer, there's a message from Harvey. He's never known the journalist to be an early riser - at least when given a choice- and wonders if his friend is in a later time zone - like Europe. That would put a serious wrinkle in the window dressing for Castle's plan. Fortunately, from the indications in Harvey's reply, he's not too far away. He merely chose to greet the sun early to witness the release of his scoop. In hopes of scoring another, he's more than willing to go along with what Castle has in mind.

* * *

The banner takes up almost the entire screen: "The Interview: Tuesday Harvey Bernstein and His Source Tell All." The story goes on to tease intimate details that will be live-streamed from a Manhattan television studio. Castle is counting on Bracken sending someone to stop it, and on having the good guys with guns in place when he does.

Castle and Kate have a long day to wait. They receive a call from Danberg saying that Agent Shaw is coordinating an FBI operation to throw a net over whoever is drawn into the trap. Castle likes Jordan, but her participation in the plan doesn't make Kate feel any better. Sitting on the sidelines has never been something either of them handles well, and with so much on the line, it's even harder now.

At least there's been a delivery to replenish the pantry including- thank God for whoever thought of it - chocolate chips. Castle grins as he thumbs flour from the tip of Kate's nose. They won't be making a classic Toll House recipe. Whatever savior remembered the chips must have been oblivious to the need for brown sugar, but the results of their efforts will still be better than anything they've had since they've been in hiding.

* * *

Baking was a welcome distraction, but Castle can think of an even better one. The wonderful thing about chocolate chips is that they can form a trail to follow, and Kate is more than willing to mark the best spots, starting with the sweet morsel held between her lips. Castle captures it for his own, his mouth meeting hers with a heat that melts the bit to a sumptuous smear.

Kate's path leads to the tiny dip in the soft skin between her neck and her shoulder. Castle claims the treat and what's beneath it. Kate's hands fist in the utilitarian blanket covering the bed as Castle draws her tender flesh into his mouth. She arches, displacing the markers from Castle's next targets, but they have beacons of their own, straining for attention. His hands cradle the needy globes while his tongue searches for any trace of the candy that's fallen away.

Kate is groaning, burying her fingers in his hair to urge him lower. All the signposts are gone, but the way is emblazoned in the depths of his need. He follows it, tasting, touching, feeling. Kate is reaching for him. He knows what she wants. She's bucking beneath his fingers, wordlessly begging to be filled. He can hear relief sighing from her lungs as he enters her velvet vault. Her eyes close as her legs wrap around him, and her lips search out his. Chocolate and passion are melding on their tongues as they move to the most ancient and demanding rhythm. He can feel her fingers digging into his back, as she whispers, "more." He strokes her secret spot even as they come together. She gasps, contracting around him, her response giving rise to his own release.

* * *

She's in his arms, her breathing gradually calming. He can feel her hair, damp with exertion, brushing against his chest. She burrows into him, yielding and warm. Inside her is another life they've made together. That life will grow up without the threat of a Bracken or a Maddox. That child will skip beside him as they go to the park. A tiny tongue will turn purple from licking a grape lollipop. Small legs will wobble on a first two-wheeler. Longer ones will climb a podium to accept a well-earned diploma. A mortarboard will soar triumphantly into the sky.

But tomorrow must arrive first, bringing his best hope to lure evil from its lair. He prays that the trap will snap shut and hold tight, forcing darkness into the light of day - a day he dreams will end the 12-year nightmare of the woman he loves.


	9. Chapter 9

Love's Gift

Chapter 9

Castle and Kate are sitting close enough together in front of the computer to feel each other breathe - what little they're doing of it. Hands tightly clasped, all they can do is watch the feed. They can only see the reporter from the back, but he has the same build and signature shaggy locks as Harvey Bernstein. His interviewee appears to be the same height and weight as Kate, but she's veiled, and her voice is electronically disguised. She's recounting the horror of Johanna Beckett's death at the hands of Jack Coonan but at the behest of someone who's since risen to a seat of power.

Kate gasps as a tall figure comes within camera range. He's holding a Beretta 92 Combat 9 mm, one of the deadliest guns on the planet. His face is covered by a balaclava, but Kate can recognize the voice of Cole Maddox as he proclaims that he's there to keep his promise to put Kate in the ground. Guns, and agents holding them, appear from everywhere, surrounding Maddox as the woman masquerading as Kate pulls a gun of her own and inquires if this is the day Maddox wants to put himself in the ground.

Castle can't help grinning. It's what the real Kate - or Nikki Heat - would have said. Whoever the agent under the veil is, she's immersed herself in the role. Maddox sinks to his knees and raises his hands.

* * *

In a temporary but welcome respite from their safe house confinement, Kate and Castle are in the bowels of the FBI headquarters in New York to witness Jordan Shaw's interrogation of Cole Maddox. A young woman comes to stand beside them at the observation window and extends her hand to Kate. She identifies herself as Agent Montcrief, the member of Jordan Shaw's unit, who played the decoy.

Castle can't help but ask for an explanation of how she was so successful at portraying Kate. Montcrief confides that at one point in her life she was roommates with Natalie Rhodes. When Shaw gave her the assignment, she called Natalie for pointers.

Recalling how spooked Kate was by Natalie's mimicry of her, Castle hopes that Montcrief didn't learn too much of the actress' methodology. He guesses from the narrowing of Kate's eyes that she might be thinking the same thing, but they both congratulate Montcrief on her performance.

Jordan finishes with the introductory reiteration of the crimes for which Maddox is being charged, including his shooting of Kate Beckett. Castle holds Kate against his side as she flinches and presses her hand to her chest.

When Maddox doesn't respond, Jordan suggests that they just cut to the chase. Since he is connected to a man who is associated with international drug trade which supports terrorism, she can make a case that Maddox is a terrorist rather than just a criminal. Under the Patriot Act, he can be held indefinitely without trial or counsel. Kate nudges Castle, declaring that this is the first time she's seen Maddox look scared. The indications are subtle. His pupils are dilated, and his nostrils are flaring.

Castle perceives that Jordan's picked up on the signals as well when she presses her point promising Maddox a life-long sojourn in a place that will make Guantanamo look like a five-star resort. She informs him that giving up the man that hired him may cause her to reconsider and allow him to navigate the conventional criminal justice system. Rising from her seat, Jordan grants Maddox some time to think about it.

She greets Castle and Kate as they continue to stare through the glass at Maddox, and asks them what they think. Castle queries if she's considered using a rack or perhaps an iron maiden.

Jordan looks thoughtful for a moment. Straight-faced but with a smile in her eyes, she tells him that the bureau abandoned tactics like that after J. Edgar Hoover died, but they could get away with making Maddox watch Battlefield Earth and Gigli. While Castle acknowledges that ordeal might be worse than archaic instruments of torture, Kate points to what's going on beyond the glass. Maddox is shifting in his chair and wiping his palms against his pants. Perspiration stains are appearing under his arms and in the middle of his back. Jordan nods knowingly and proposes they get some coffee before letting Cole Maddox, aka Cedric Marks, furnish the entertainment.

In the interest of supporting his partner, Castle forgoes caffeine and joins Kate in sipping bottled water as they watch Jordan return to where Maddox is waiting, rivulets of sweat on his face. She puts it bluntly, "Does he want to talk or never see the light of day again?"

The words spout from his mouth as the hitman explains that he met Bracken in Afghanistan when he was overseeing operations in the poppy fields and Maddox was working as a mercenary. He admits that he is the one who shot Kate. Castle exclaims, "No shit!" as Maddox also confesses to beating Smith, knocking out Esposito, and battling with Kate - all while in the employ of Bracken.

Jordan brusquely informs her prisoner that if he's going to warrant any kind of consideration, he's going to have to help her find Bracken. Maddox insists that he doesn't know where Bracken is, but offers that he receives his instructions at a dead drop in White Plains.

Kate notes that White Plains is not far from Westchester, where Bracken owns the kind of home a Senator shouldn't be able to afford. Bracken might also hold other property in the area. In any case, the dead drop will serve as a hub from which the FBI can start their search. Jordan continues questioning Maddox, but the dead drop is the only information he has that can help them find Bracken.

* * *

The safe house feels more confining than ever. After offering Kate the last of the chocolate chip cookies and dibs on the first shower, Castle plants himself in front of the computer. If Bracken's hiding out in White Plains, there must be some sign of him. A crooked senator isn't as likely to be spotted as a Kardashian, but he's still Twitter and Facebook-worthy - especially when his crimes are plastered all over the web. There are numerous community based anti-drug groups from soccer moms to basketball dads. Someone must have seen something and shared it.

Castle is frustrated by the realization that much of the communication going on is by direct messaging or in restricted groups, but there's always someone who wants to blast the word to the world. The blaster's sharp eyes belong to Sniffer, who according to her profile is a 14-year-old girl who lost her older brother to drugs. She's infuriated by Bracken and complains to all her followers that the minute some jerk she reached on the tip line realized she was a kid, he ignored everything she said. She tweets every hour on the hour that she saw Bracken outside a White Plains dry cleaner and someone should do something about it. Castle picks up the secure phone to dial Jordan's private line. Someone is going to do something about it - and right now.

* * *

Castle's long legs cover the length of the dated linoleum in the kitchen too easily. Waiting to hear back from Jordan, he's beginning to wear a path that isn't made of chocolate chips. Kate convinces him to join her at the computer, where she's searching through every image of Bracken to see if there's some tiny clue they might have missed.

Castle comments on the fancy cuff links Bracken always seems to be wearing with his custom-made shirts. Kate points to one photo in which the senator is apparently trying to portray the hard-working man of the people and has his sleeves rolled up. Castle urges her to zoom in on Bracken's wrist. The image is blurry, but it looks like a medic-alert bracelet.

They comb through the pictures again. Bracken is at a fundraiser for patients with arginase deficiencies. They agree that a sociopath like Bracken would have no interest in a low-profile disease like that - unless he suffers from it himself. There's uncommon medication that he'd have to get somewhere. A map of the area around the dry cleaner shows a marker for Woodrow's Specialty and Compounding Pharmacy. That drug emporium has to be their direct connection to Bracken. Castle reaches for the phone.


	10. Chapter 10

Love's Gift

Chapter 10

Castle and Kate are waiting anxiously for news from Jordan that she's obtained a court order to see Woodrow's records. With the privacy laws involved with medical information, every "I" will have to be dotted and every "T" crossed. Castle understands the need for the process and even appreciates it because he doesn't want word of Kate's pregnancy leaking out until she's ready to reveal it. Still, it's frustrating to have a trail to Bracken and not be able to follow it. Their only satisfaction comes from the squad of operatives Jordan has been able to assign to monitor every second of video available in White Plains. With a warrant already issued for Bracken's arrest, a strike force will be able to move in immediately, as soon as they have a location.

Castle is also keeping an eye on Sniffer's postings. So far, her surveillance has been more effective than all the FBI agents put together. He can envision the girl's personal loss moving her to join law enforcement someday, as Johanna's death drove Kate to join the N.Y.P.D.

Castle knows, from his latest update from Jordan, that Maddox will be going to the Federal Penitentiary in Canaan, Pennsylvania. His confession eliminated the need for a trial, but there is still a process to follow. In the meantime, the killer is still being held by the FBI. If he's still holding back any information, Jordan can squeeze it out of him. Castle would love to do some squeezing himself, preferably with electrodes on Maddox's most sensitive area, but knowing that Kate's shooter will pay for what he did for the rest of his life is some compensation for not being able to deliver his own punishment.

* * *

Kate and Castle have moved from their CIA safe house to one operated by the FBI, where the accommodations are more current. The film library is not as good, but a bookshelf is well stocked, as is the refrigerator and the pantry - especially regarding chocolate. Castle suspects that Jordan might have something to do with that, but whatever the reason, he's grateful for anything that will make Kate more comfortable.

The house has two bedrooms. Apparently, the FBI is going with the fiction that they'll both be in use, but at least the larger of the two contains a queen-sized bed, somewhat of an improvement over CIA issue. The computer appears to be secure, as does the phone provided. There are no steel shutters, but the windows bear the hallmark scratches of bullet resistant plastic. The doors are reinforced and bear redundant locks.

There's also a basement. Castle usually finds underground spaces fascinating, because they form such intriguing backdrops for the creepier scenes in his books. This one, which houses the washer, dryer, and furnace, holds little to spark his imagination except for a firmly bolted door. His mind immediately spins tales of mad escapes through C.H.U.D.-laden sewers. In some form or another, that door will definitely be going in his next book.

* * *

The call from Jordan interrupts a game of rock paper scissors with Kate over who gets to lick the bowl or the spoon from a batch of brownies. Moving in on Bracken trumps even fudgy goodness. Jordan assigns Agent Montcrief to give running commentary of the operation ringing a block of downtown White Plains. Civilians are being rapidly cleared from the area, and Bracken should have nowhere to go. Both Castle and Kate agree that the Senator is not to be underestimated, an opinion that Jordan shares.

At first, there isn't much to Montcrief's narrative, although it's apparent that she's trying her best to make it interesting. Snipers are being stationed on roofs, and every street in and out of the area is being blocked by both vehicles and agents. The operation is large enough in scale that FBI forces have been pulled from New Jersey and Connecticut to partner with their brethren stationed in New York.

Bracken is in the sights of several sharpshooters as well as being tracked by satellite. An armored squad moves in to surround him. According to Montcrief, Bracken's's arguing that as a senator he can't be arrested. As the daughter of two lawyers, Kate immediately blurts out the spuriousness of Bracken's protest. The constitutional restrictions only apply if he is in transit to or from the Senate floor or is performing his senatorial duties. Clearly, Bracken is doing anything but performing his duties, He's been acting against the interests of the people who elected him for as long as he's been in office. As Bracken is forced to his knees and cuffed, Montcrief shoots a few seconds of video and transmits it to Kate. Castle expects to make multiple copies to be preserved for posterity, as a testimony for Kate that even justice delayed need not be justice denied. Their lips meet even before Montcrief signs off.

* * *

Hours later, the oven is still on and the batter resting in the pan. Castle shoves it in to bake and hands Kate both the bowl and the spoon, crusty but rich with chocolaty goodness. The rush he is experiencing at her triumph is more than enough sweetness for him - at least for that moment.

It isn't over. Until all of Bracken's contacts can be tracked down, there may be another Maddox on the streets somewhere - already paid and tasked with a deadly mission. The FBI house will still be their refuge until Jordan can supply firm assurance that the danger is past.

* * *

Castle is determined to outline his next book while the details are still firmly in his mind, but Kate paces restlessly while he works. When he asks what's bothering her, she confesses that without the N.Y.P.D. to return to, she feels at loose ends. Castle is confused. Even if she were still a cop, she'd have to take leave due to her pregnancy anyway.

Kate admits that he's right, but she's always had a job of one sort or another since she got her working papers as a teen, and she can't just sit around eating bonbons. She shrugs helplessly when he asks her what she wants to do when they're free to venture into the world again. What's making her crazy is that she has no plan, and she needs one. N.Y.P.D. or no N.Y.P.D., she's not about to give up on her quest for justice in the world, she's just not sure how she's going to pursue it. There's not much Castle can say. Even though they will be raising their child together - and hopefully much more - the choice will still have to be hers. He can only hold her and reassure her that whatever path she chooses to follow, he'll be there to support her.

As Kate gazes upward from the circle of Castle's arms, there's a look in her eyes that he's never seen before. She swallows and wets her lips before she can get the words out: "You know I love you, right?" Tears are running down her face, and he can feel her tremble. He can only embrace her more tightly and whisper that he loves her too.

This was not how Castle had expected Kate's longed-for declaration to come. He'd envisioned candles, soft lighting and his offer of a ring. But this is better. She doesn't need a shiny token. Her few words are even more moving because they've been given with none of the accouterments of romance.

She offers her hand as she had on the stormy night she'd first come to him and leads the way back to a bed still in passion's disarray. At that moment, nowhere else exists.


	11. Chapter 11

Love's Gift

Chapter 11

It's taking Castle a moment to process the sounds coming from outside the house, but Kate is already out of bed and staring out a window. Putting a finger to her lips, she's signaling for him to look. He can see a hint of movement in the shadows at the side of the house. He reaches for the phone but can't get a signal. Kate nods as he turns the screen, so she can see it. She mouths, "jammer."

Reaching for Castle's hand, Kate leads the way to the computer. The "X" through the icon at the bottom of the screen warns that there's no internet connection. Worse, the white-hot glow of heated metal appears at the edge of the door. Someone is trying to cut his way in! Castle points toward the entrance to the basement and leads the way down the stairs. Grabbing a kitchen knife, Kate follows. Castle raises the metal bar that's across the door and they quickly slip through to a tunnel, illuminated by what appear to be motion activated LEDs. Kate points to a metal rod leaning against the wall and Castle shoves it through metal loops welded to the door, barring the way behind them.

* * *

The underground passage is dry with no sign of alligators or C.H.U.D.s. Kate believes they're moving east but isn't offering any guesses about where they'll end up. The tunnel begins to angle slightly upward, finally ending at what looks like a door to another basement. It's locked, but there's an entry system like the kind found near the inner doors of old New York brownstones. Kate holds her knife at ready while Castle reaches for the button. Even before he presses it, a buzzer sounds, and the door clicks open.

The gray-haired woman standing on the other side assures Kate there's no need for the knife. No one has had to use the tunnel to escape in years, but she received an alert from a legacy system in the FBI when communications went out at the safe house. She suspects a team is already on its way.

Kate shows no signs of relaxing her hold on her weapon. Castle raises a questioning eyebrow at their greeter. "And you are?"

She introduces herself as Blanche DuBois and quickly adds that she has rarely depended on the kindness of strangers, but her visitors appear to need some. She adds that she and her husband both worked for the FBI but that he's gone, and she's retired from duty - except for living at the other end of the tunnel. Blanche gestures toward a staircase saying that it's much more comfortable upstairs and she just made snickerdoodles.

Castle can feel his muscles relax as he detects the scent of cinnamon. If Blanche isn't telling the truth about anything else, she is about the newly baked treats.

Snickerdoodles fill three cooling racks on the counter and Blanche waves her guests to seats at the kitchen table. Their hostess taps the phone sticking out of the pocket of her blouse. "I'll get an all-clear when whoever was trying to attack the house is rounded up." She pulls a seltzer siphon like the ones decorating Castle's loft, out of the refrigerator. "This is one of the few leftovers from the old days that I still subscribe to - slightly modernized. The delivery service is web-based."

Castle grins and asks for the URL.

Kate is finishing her third cookie when a fanfare erupts from Blanche's phone. She regards the screen, telling Kate and Castle that two would-be assassins have been captured and that their ride will be arriving in a few moments.

Castle notices that the older woman is staring at him and inquires if he has crumbs on his face.

She shakes her head, explaining that there's just something in his eyes that reminds her of someone she met when she was liaising with the CIA. What Sophia Turner told him about his father immediately floods his brain. Could the traitor have been telling the truth? Is his father a spy? He asks if the someone has a name.

Blanche smiles and pats his hand. "Everyone has a name dear, in this case, I suspect he has had many, but it's unlikely I was privy to the one on his birth certificate. In any case, it's probably just a chance resemblance."

Castle's not so sure.

Blanche receives another signal on her phone. She shows Castle and Kate the feed from a camera. There's a car parked in front of the house with the headlights flicking on and off in rhythm. Blanche points the way toward the door, before winking and handing them each a cookie-to-go.

Castle recognizes Shaw's partner Avery at the wheel of the predictable black SUV and opens the door for Kate. Avery inquires if they want to go to FBI headquarters for the interrogation of the suspects that broke into the safe house. Castle knows that there is zero chance of keeping Kate away, and he's pretty anxious to watch the grilling himself, but even more anxious to find out how the location of the safe house got out. Avery has no idea, but he's hoping that the men they captured do.

* * *

Through the glass, Castle gets his first good look at the men who came after him and Kate. He recognizes the type - fit but not too musclebound to move quickly. They remind him of some of the operatives at the CIA- or Maddox. Not run-of-the-mill criminals; more likely mercenaries. If they are, they work for someone, a someone who knew where he and Kate were hiding out.

Avery's eyes harden as he faces the prisoners across the table. He begins by telling them that an attack on a secret government facility is at the least, espionage, something for which there is still a death penalty. He goes on to say they are unlikely to enjoy their wait in the Special Confinement Center in Terra Haute.

They ask for a lawyer. Of course, they do. They probably have millions stashed offshore to pay for one.

Avery smiles, telling them that any funds that they attempt to access for legal assistance that can't be accounted for as earned by legitimate means will be frozen, but the court will be willing to appoint a public defender. He adds that if they're really lucky, the kid might have a year or two of practicing law under his belt.

Kate whistles in admiration. "He's good!"

It's the same way Castle always felt watching Kate in the box. Well, almost the same way. He feels no urge to drag Avery to bed. Still, it is satisfying to watch the for-hire killers sweat. He wonders if the FBI has any popcorn.

After another hour of grilling by Avery, the mercs admit they haven't heard directly from Bracken, but received transfers to their accounts and coded emails with their assignments. Avery tells Kate and Castle that he has already seized their attacker's phones to begin the task of tracking down their employer. It is unfortunately clear that Bracken has a mole in the FBI. Until that person can be uncovered, any FBI safe house must be considered compromised. They'll be hardening Castle's loft as a defensible enough location as any and putting in place twenty-four-hour surveillance teams Avery will vet personally. Castle wonders if it might not be a good idea to hire his own security. Avery admits that under the circumstances, it would make sense.

* * *

Castle is lying with his arm beneath his head in his own bed, with Kate beside him. She snuggles into his chest, asking him what he's thinking about. He confides that he can't stop obsessing over what Blanche said. If he puts it together with what Sophia told him, he has a father out there somewhere - working for the CIA. When Bracken's network has finally been destroyed, he's going to do his best to find out if their child has James Bond for a grandfather.


	12. Chapter 12

Love's Gift

Chapter 12

"You're smiling," Castle notes as Kate stuffs her phone in her pocket.

She nods, explaining that she was talking with her father. Jim Beckett is looking at a wrongful death suit that will be needing some investigation, and he wants to know if Kate wants to work on it. Castle can see green flecks of excitement appearing in her eyes. Checking out a wrongful death will flex her detection muscles, but she may still be a target. If she puts herself in the crossfire, she's putting their child there too. After asking when her father wants her to start, he lets out the breath he'd been holding. The legal paperwork won't be in order for weeks. Hopefully, that's enough time for the FBI to analyze the communications of the men who came after them and uncover the mole.

He has something else in mind until then. He'll be assembling some of the details of what's happened since Kate came to him out of the storm, to use in his next Nikki Heat book. He'll be changing them, of course, to suit Nikki and Rook, but he's hoping that Kate's view of the events can add some extra nuance. He suspects she'll have the usual objections to the way he portrays Nikki's more titillating aspects. Or maybe not. What he's experienced with Kate is way beyond the metaphors of passing through clouds and feeling only heat that he's used in his fevered prose. With Kate, there's so much more than that. He'd never really understood lovemaking as a melding of souls rather than a mating of body parts before, but he does now. He's hoping that Kate shares his feelings and with her help, he can make the depth of them come alive on the page.

He's also looking at basing some new characters on men from the security agency he engaged on a recommendation from Esposito. They're all ex-military, and Castle suspects they're also ex-special ops. Espo is part of the brotherhood and will be working with them for the few remaining days while he's on suspension from the police force. Castle's always had mixed feelings about how protective Esposito is of Kate. He's had suspicions that at some time their relationship might have been more than professional. Right now, though, he's grateful for the cop's attitude. It gives him more confidence that Kate and the baby will be kept safe.

Espo's buddy Morty is a particularly intriguing fellow. In a way, he reminds Castle of Yoda. He's smaller than the other guards, but both his marksmanship and hand-to-hand combat skills are legendary. Castle's mulling giving Morty's literary persona an opportunity to wield a lightsaber if he can figure out a way to fit it into the plot. A real saber wouldn't be bad either, but not much more straightforward to wedge into the story. He'll have to let the idea rattle around in his head for a while.

Blanche DuBois needs to make an appearance. He hates the thought that he'll have to change her name. There are so many things that he could do with her real one. He's considering putting together the names of two actresses who have played the role and calling her Blythe Peake, another name with a multitude of possibilities.

Thinking about Blanche is making his theories about his father skitter through his brain again. He could ask his mother if he has his father's eyes. She hasn't been able to tell him much about the man, but she could tell him that. The rest of a physical description, even if it is decades out of date, wouldn't hurt either. It would give him some idea of whether the man at least looked like a CIA agent. Knowing Martha and the way she internalizes sensory experiences to use for her craft, she can probably recall the texture of the man's skin and the scent of whatever soap he used - but Castle's not sure he wants to dig that deep - yet. He checks his watch. Paris is six hours ahead. That means Mother is probably enjoying a lovely glass of wine. A text he'd received from Alexis earlier said they'd be touring a vineyard. He can call Mother in a couple of hours when she is very likely to be quite forthcoming.

He sprints for the bathroom as he hears a groan from Kate. Could something be going wrong with the baby? Kate is cursing at her hairbrush. Pregnancy is thickening her locks, a side effect he views with much appreciation, but she also spent too much time away from her conditioner, resulting in the kind of painful tangles she hasn't had since she was a teenager.

A panoply of remembrances of dealing with Alexis' hair emergencies flits across his mind's eye. Tangles are something he knows how to handle. He leads Kate to sit on the bed while he gently hand-separates each strand, saving brush and comb only for the end of the process. He can feel his skin warming as it never did with his daughter, as Kate's silk slides through his fingers. He inhales the scent of cherries, that has recently returned as a note in the unique and arousing essence of Kate Beckett.

Pushing Kate's freshly smoothed mane to one side, his lips softly caress the satin skin of her neck. Suddenly, she whirls to face him. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she straddles his lap. The tip of her tongue circles her lips as her fingers stroke the burgeoning hardness beneath his jeans. He pulls her against him, their lips meeting in gentle collision. His tongue plunges deeply into her mouth. He detects a faint taste of mint from the toothpaste she used after breakfast, but also a headier flavor that's hers alone.

A frustrated whimper emanates from her throat as she grinds against him, her breasts flattening on his chest. He reaches between them for the fastener that secures her slacks. His fingers feel clumsy, thick with need, but he manages to release the clasp and push aside the dampened satiny shield beneath it. He can feel the steamy blaze growing beneath his touch, as she works to free him from his denim bondage.

They fall back on the bed, the remaining fabric barriers quickly kicked away. Kate writhes under his intimate kiss, her hand encircling him. The air is forced from his lungs as they come together. The sounds of the city go unheard, and the danger that still threatens is banished from awareness. There is only climbing higher, faster, as sensation fires every inch of their bodies. What begins as a lapping wave against a beach becomes a crash against cliffs, until the tide retreats with the suddenness of an oncoming tsunami.

* * *

For once, Castle has no words - or the air to speak them. There is only Kate still in his arms, her breath as labored as his.

Kate slowly raises her head and shakes it. "You know, you're going to have to get the knots out of my hair again."

He presses his lips against her untamed tresses. "Only if I get to re-tangle it."

She brushes her fingertips across his lips, before meeting them with her own. "Always."

Images swirl before his eyes. Rook and Nikki will have a new scene. They may even have a whole new chapter - drawn from the one he and Kate just wrote together.


	13. Chapter 13

Love's Gift

Chapter 13

Martha has drunk enough of a superior vintage to be extremely forthcoming about almost anything. She describes Castle's father to him as six-four with green eyes, very well-muscled and very creative. Castle could have done without envisioning the implications of the last part, but he appreciates the rest of what she tells him.

Alexis jumps in with the suggestion that Castle should have his DNA done. It would tell them both more about their ancestry. It's not a bad idea. He's pretty sure Lanie would be willing - or that Kate can convince her. DNA won't tell him if his father is a spy - but it might turn up something else. He decides to give a sample to Esposito to deliver to the morgue and settles himself in front of his computer.

Sniffer's posting almost jumps off Castle's screen. It is one of the pictures she had snapped of Bracken when he was on the loose, but there is someone else in it - someone with a very buttoned-down law enforcement air. The man reminds him of Will Sorenson, practically reeking of the FBI. Castle captures the image. If he sends it to Avery or even Jordan, there is a good chance that it could be intercepted. He needs to go to FBI headquarters, and he doubts that Kate will countenance him going without her.

Fortunately, Morty is on duty. Castle sends him a text asking him to put together whatever protection it will take to get him and Kate to the FBI. The Federal surveillance team will figure out where he and Kate are going soon enough. For now, he feels more secure letting Morty take point on arranging their expedition.

* * *

Morty and company don't go in for black SUV's any more than Derrick Storm does. One of his men is driving a Chevy Malibu, while he rides shotgun.

* * *

Castle is insisting that Avery sweep the conference room for bugs before he tells him anything, and Kate agrees. Avery argues that a sweep was done that morning, but Castle urges the agent to humor him. Avery lets out a very impressive string of four-letter words when the sweeper beeps. Apparently, someone knew when a sweep would be done and planted a bug afterward. That person would have needed to be able to enter the room without arousing suspicion.

Castle shows Avery the image from Sniffer's post. Another unprintable word erupts from the agent's lips. The man in the picture is Roderick Murphy, director for the entire East Coast Sector. He maintains an office in the New York City Headquarters and would have access to every report and record. With Bracken sitting on the Intelligence Committee, the two men could have communicated freely without raising any red flags.

Castle wonders what the initial connection between the two men might be. Avery leaves the room for a few minutes and comes back with a hard copy of Murphy's standard biography. Both Murphy and Bracken attended Walter Murchison. Murphy is listed as a member of the elite Pen and Saber Society. Castle recalls from his research that Bracken was a member as well. The two men have known each other since college. It's even possible that Bracken has some dirt on Murphy. It would be his style.

Kate insists that Avery arrest Murphy immediately, but Murphy's assistant says that the director is on his way to Boston. There is a GPS tracker in Murphy's vehicle, but Avery has no idea whom he can trust to take with him to go after the man. Even if he were to bring him in, it would be easy for Murphy to claim that the photograph had been faked, and a 14-year-old girl would have a hard time standing up in court against a distinguished law enforcement officer. They need more evidence. Avery will be enlisting Jordan and a small group of agents he's sure he can trust, to search it out.

Castle isn't sure he can trust the surveillance team Avery put on him and Kate. He decides to entrust their protection to Morty and his operatives. With Kate's agreement, he tells Avery to recall his teams. He also decides to ask Morty to recheck the hardening measures the FBI put in place in the loft as well.

* * *

The loft is clean and secure except for a backdoor into the enhanced security system. Morty explains that many security systems have similar Achilles heels and that the FBI may not be at fault, but he has his people replace the system with one of their own. His operatives will be on duty 24/7, monitoring anyone who tries to enter the loft or ping the computer network. That's of some comfort to Castle, but there's no telling how many agents Murphy may control and how far Bracken's influence penetrated the bureau.

Kate proposes that they do some checking on their own. The total membership list of the Pen and Saber Society is secret, but many Murchison graduates gladly acknowledge membership. They can start looking into them and see what they uncover. She suggests that they go as deep as they can into Murphy's background. There may be clues to whatever Bracken used - and is still using - to pull Murphy's strings.

* * *

Castle tries to rub the exhaustion out of his eyes. While Kate is pursuing everything she can find on Murphy, he's taken on the task of looking into members of the Pen and Saber Society. He started with the ones who would have had direct contact with Bracken or Murphy during their years at Murchison, but even the list covering just four years is not short. Many of the members hold prominent positions, and there are several very large haystacks of material to sift through to find anything he and Kate might be able to use. He's hoping she's had better luck using his spare laptop.

He finds her in the bedroom, tired but triumphant. She's been looking into Murphy's first wife, a girl he met while he was attending Murchison. When she filed for divorce, she claimed that she owned the lion's share of their securities, as they'd been purchased with money she inherited from her grandmother. From the court filings, it appeared that the judge was close to ruling in her favor when she disappeared. She was found dead in a ravine off the highway in what was ruled a tragic accident.

Murphy had expressed proper grief but had managed to keep all the disputed property. Less than a year later, he married another woman, Rachel Cranston, an heiress who also died. Rachel's death was chalked up to a random mugging, much as Johanna Beckett's had been. The killer hadn't used Coonan's M.O., but the murder could have easily been committed by someone else on Bracken's payroll. Murphy inherited much of Rachel's estate, but continued his work at the FBI, moving up in rank until assuming his present position based on a recommendation from none other than the powerful Senator Bracken. Murphy was out of the country on vacation during the time Bracken was collared, or Bracken might not have been caught. Thank God for little favors. It's clear that Murphy still has to do Bracken's bidding, possibly to avoid being implicated in two murders.

Kate needs a meeting with Jordan and Avery ASAP, somewhere the walls have no eyes or ears. Castle proposes they use his house in the Hamptons. He just needs Morty's people to sweep it first. And it wouldn't hurt to get the pool up to temperature, either.


	14. Chapter 14

Love's Gift

Chapter 14

Just as Castle and Kate arrive in the Hamptons, texts flash from the screens of their cell phones. Roderick Murphy is back at the FBI and Jordan, Avery and their team are watching his every move, recording every call, capturing every email and preserving every scrap of paper the mole touches. So far there has been no evidence of contact with Bracken. Jordan will be arriving at the beach house as fast as she can get there without attracting undue attention.

Castle glances at his watch. In the best case, Jordan's drive will take 90 minutes. In heavy traffic, it will be closer to three hours. He and Kate can fill the time by organizing all the documentation she's found on Murphy's suspected black-widowerhood. Castle will also return to his investigation of the members of the Pen and Saber Society who might be involved with Bracken or Murphy.

He can also check on what provisions Greta, the part-time housekeeper, has stocked in the refrigerator. The hearty woman usually assumes that an army or other ravenous horde will be arriving and lays in supplies accordingly. He's hoping that whatever is there will be more than enough to nourish a mother-to-be and her precious passenger. He could use a little comfort food himself.

Greta came through with piles of sliced roast beef, and an assortment of side dishes including the mustardy potato salad that Castle expects will appeal to Kate. She usually has an appetite for the hot and spicy - even more so since she's been pregnant.

Castle focuses his research on Corey Blackwell, a member of the Society who's risen to CEO of a generic pharmaceutical company. Most of the drugs are made overseas. Shipments would form a perfect cover for importing illegal ones into the United States, perhaps to supplement the route through the Philippines. Corey does not appear to have any dead spouses, but his academic career after leaving Murchison is unusual. He attended an MBA program at the Matheson Business School - not strange for a man with executive ambitions - but left before obtaining his degree. No reason is cited in anything Castle can find, but there is an undercurrent that Corey's departure was not voluntary.

Corey worked as a salesman for over a decade before being accepted to a program at another school that had just taken on U.S. as a board member. After rapidly completing the program, Corey experienced a meteoric rise, when his company received accelerated approval to market the generic form of a freshly off-patent drug, with truncated proof of chemical equivalence. Bracken sat on the committee that helped push the approval through. Castle has no doubt that Corey Blackwell owes Bracken - big time. Castle wonders how many other Coreys there are, but at least he hasn't uncovered anymore that might be dangerous to Kate.

* * *

Jordan welcomes Kate's information on Murphy and Castle's discoveries about Corey. They're not proof of anything, but they do suggest patterns and those are something that judges consider. She assures both Castle and Kate that her team will be doing their best to prevent Murphy from passing on any more information until they have enough to nail him and suggests that as long as the two of them at the beach, they use the time to decompress. Castle can feel the tension and lack of sleep catching up with him and is worried about what worse effects it will have on Kate and the baby. He declares that Jordan has a terrific idea.

He hasn't gotten around to uncovering the pool and making sure that the passive solar heating has done its job. After Jordan departs is as good a time as any. A snack followed by a laze by the pool may be just what the doctor - or the FBI agent - ordered.

* * *

Castle is enjoying watching Kate float on the surface of the water when the buzz of his cellphone on the table adjoining his chaise lounge demands attention. The email is from Lanie. It's short, just saying there's something he has to see immediately, but there's a document attached. Opening it on his computer will be easier than trying to read the PDF on his small screen. He hates to disturb Kate, but his habits as a father are ingrained enough to keep him from leaving anyone alone in his pool - especially the mother-to-be of his child. He dives in and presses his slightly chlorinated lips to hers as an apology for cutting her soak short.

Toweled only partially dry, they drip their way back into the house to open the laptop on the desk in the master bedroom. The report Lanie sent cites several incidences where DNA that is a parental match to Castle's was found at crime scenes where the victims had been killed, and in some cases tortured as well. Castle can feel bile rising in his throat. Is that what his father does for the CIA? While having a license to kill is exciting for a fictional character like James Bond, to have a father who does it in real life is more than he can get his mind around.

When he tells Kate that he needs to take a walk, she insists on going with him. He usually finds the sounds of the ocean calming, but at that moment the proximity of the waves is of no comfort. Kate's hand in his is his only lifeline, but even that brings dark thoughts. What kind of genes is he passing on to their child?

Kate insists that she has rarely met anyone as kind and compassionate as Castle - or Alexis for that matter. She'll be proud of anything their child gets from its father. She points out that she's killed, but only for the right reasons. She's sure that whatever Castle's father did, he did in the service of his country. Soldiers kill for their countries every day and they are hailed as heroes. Castle's father may be a hero too.

Castle knows that one of Morty's operatives is watching them from somewhere, but as he wraps his arms around Kate at that moment, he doesn't care. They need no words. The beach robes that cover their swimsuits are left behind on the sand as clinging to each other they wade together into the surf.

Unseen beneath the water, the barriers to their joining are pushed down or aside. The sea is cool, but warms around them, the taste of salt on their lips. The waves tug at their bodies, threatening to push them shoreward, but the only pull they feel is for each other. Their arousal is a rising tide swamping anything but pure need. They're in the center of their own perfect storm.

* * *

With little strength left to swim when the force of the gale has ebbed, the couple lets the waves sweep them back to shore, not far from where their cover-ups still lie. They carry the sandy garments rather than coating their damp bodies with grit and rinse off under the outdoor shower near the pool before re-entering the beach house. The king-sized bed has never beckoned more loudly. Collapsing atop the satiny duvet, they spoon, drifting into slumber.

Castle's dreamscape is filled with sunlight and water lapping at a peaceful shore, but a shadow rises from the rocks, morphing into a tall man with eyes like emerald blades. As Castle gazes up at the figure, a red fog surrounds them with droplets falling from the tips of their fingers to form red stains on the pristine sand. Castle cries out in horror.


	15. Chapter 15

Love's Gift

Chapter 15

Castle can feel Kate's hand on his, pulling him from the dregs of his dream. He caresses her still flat belly. The child within will be wonderful, if not from any influence of his chromosomes, from Kate's. And like Alexis, it will grow up surrounded by love. Whatever he has to do, wherever he has to be, that will be the one guidepost he will follow.

Right now, he wants to follow the shortest route back to the city. He needs to assure the safety and comfort of both mother and child for as many years as lay ahead for him. To keep the money coming in, he has to write. Transforming his fear into adventures on the page also keeps the demons at bay. Since he was 11 years old, it always has.

* * *

Kate comments that Castle is uncharacteristically silent during the trip down Interstate 495. He confides that he's been writing scenes in his mind, flashbacks of members of the fictitious Bar and Peg club, recalling how their common blackmailer gathered and kept their secrets, while they meet to plan their revenge.

Kate wonders, given Bracken's history, if there might be a group of members of the Pen and Saber swathing themselves in schadenfreude at his fall from grace. They could have information that would help to track down the Senator's remaining minions. It wouldn't hurt to conduct some interviews. Castle could quite truthfully claim that he is doing research for his book.

Castle agrees that questioning society members could be a promising direction to take their investigation, as well as a welcome distraction from his disturbing imaginings about his father. He decides to give the meetings an official veneer by setting them up through Black Pawn. Letting discretion be the better part of valor, he'll skirt Gina and do it through the PR director, Estrella Santiago. He'll have to coordinate with Morty, but that process has proved to be almost seamless.

* * *

Before making any other visits, he and Kate have a more important appointment. Lanie recommended an OB-Gyn. The pathologist roomed with her friend Dr. Ginger Sabatini while both women were residents and had remained in touch ever since. If anything, Castle is even more anxious than Kate to make sure everything is going well with the pregnancy.

The waiting room is populated by women sporting all degrees of expanding girth. Some of them are accompanied by husbands or significant others, with whom Castle exchanges some empathetic glances. The magazines are joltingly current, and a screen on the wall is displaying a video on nutrition during pregnancy. Castle uses his phone to take notes. He's familiar with the general regimen, from the time when Meredith was carrying Alexis, but some of the details have changed. Not that he'd ever be able to tell Kate what to put in her mouth, but he'd like to get things as right as he can. He's sure that for a premium, the local organic market can supply her with whatever she needs to give the baby the best start that she can.

Even as intimately familiar as Castle is with her feminine body parts, Kate prefers that he not accompany her into the exam room. He remembers when she insisted that he avert his eyes while she covered up amid the flames of her burning apartment. There are times when the dauntless Kate Beckett can be confoundingly shy.

Kate reports that Dr. Santiago has pronounced her healthy and instructed her to return in a month and call anytime she has a concern. Castle has a few hundred concerns, mostly having to do with assassins with guns and knives, but there's nothing the doctor can do about those. Now that his mind is at least temporarily calmed, there are two other stops he needs to make, destinations he's warned their watcher about in advance.

* * *

The swings in the tiny park down the street from the bookstore are unoccupied - luckily for Castle. He tells Kate that he wants to talk there like they did when she came back from being shot. She probably expects him to spill more fears about his father - and he has them - but his question has to come first. If it hadn't been for the threat hanging over their heads, he would have asked it long before now.

His fists are wrapped tightly around the metal chains supporting the plastic strip that forms his seat. The sunlight has made them warm to the touch - handy since nervousness has chilled his fingers. Angling her swing toward him, Kate raises a questioning eyebrow.

He confesses that he's always made light of not having a father, but deep down he knows the absence of one left a hell of a hole. He swears he'll be there for their child no matter what, but he really wants to stay at Kate's side, not just because of the baby, but because he can't envision a life without her. He slips from the swing to kneel on one knee on the rubbery surface beneath. "Katherine Houghton Beckett, will you marry me?"

As she frames his face in her hands, he can see the rush of emotions reflected in her eyes, including the one he recognizes from so many interrogations - doubt. "Castle, I love you. You know that, but I told you, I'm one and done. If we do this, I need to know it will be forever."

He eases her hand from his cheek and presses a kiss into her palm. "Always."

* * *

Baruch's Fine Gems has no display window. The shop is behind a metal gate and a massive locked door. The eye of a camera stares down at them as a strangely boyish voice invites them in. Castle can hear a loud click as locking mechanisms release.

Yossi Baruch stands behind a display case. Castle can remember him as a child, staring intently at the stunning jewels his father and grandfather offered. He's grown into the business and is apparently trying to grow a beard - with uneven success. Castle introduces Kate and instructs Yossi to show his future wife whatever it will take to make her happy.

The young man grins. It's obviously the sort of request he loves. He pulls out a tray of settings and inquires what sort of a stone she has in mind. Castle's not surprised when she asks to forgo a diamond in favor of something with more character. Yossi immediately obliges by opening a black velvet box filled with rubies, emeralds, and sapphires.

She points to a sapphire, flashing fire under the store's lights. "That one looks almost alive."

Yossi nods. "Gems like that take on a life of their own. If you pick out a setting, I can make your ring while you wait. And we can make sure that your wedding bands will match."

Castle squeezes Kate's hand as she agrees, and hands Yossi his credit card.

The youthful craftsman is swift, with the skill passed on by generations of his family. He presents Castle with his sparkling symbol of promise.

Drawing a deep breath, Castle prays that he can get the ring on Kate's slim finger without dropping it. It slides on perfectly as she rises on her toes to press her lips to his. This time it's right. Only death will part him from the love of his life – and hopefully not too soon.

They leave the store, guarded by Morty's assigned operative, but he's not the only one watching. Castle has a glimpse of a tall white-haired man across the street regarding the scene with what appears to be great satisfaction.


	16. Chapter 16

Love's Gift

Chapter 16

Morley Blackworth remembers Bill Bracken anything but fondly. Like many social clubs on campus, Pen and Saber kept files of exams. Most of the faculty was aware of the practice, but some of the professors got lazy and didn't change their questions from year to year. Pen and Saber took matters a bit further and kept their members' papers - at least the ones garnering good grades - on file as well. At Murchison, at the time, plagiarism was one of the few things that could get a student expelled, complete with an accompanying letter to any other school to which an application was sent.

Morley had used one of Bracken's papers as a reference, by no means copying the whole thing, but lifting a couple of paragraphs that weren't particularly pertinent to the thesis Bracken had put forward. Bracken found out about it and kept quiet until Morley received his acceptance to Columbia Law School. At that point, Bracken pointed out that Morley owed him a favor and that he could blow-up Morley's whole law career in the future if Morley didn't play ball with him. When Bracken became D.A., that favor involved suppressing potential exculpatory evidence. Morley ended up only taking cases outside the city until Bracken had moved on to Congress and no longer needed his help. Fortunately, at least some of Morley's clients had their convictions reversed, a couple with the help of Johanna Beckett. Morley had always suspected that Bracken had something to do with Johanna's death, and was glad that the monster would finally be getting what was coming to him.

* * *

Kate is pensive on the ride back to the loft. When Castle asks what's on her mind besides what a scum bag Bracken is, she confides that she'd searched through her mother's personal papers hundreds of times, but had not spent much time with her case files. She's wondering if her father might still have them with all of her mother's other things that he's kept. There might be more clues in the cases Morley Blackworth cited, and any others that Bracken prosecuted, and Johanna had reversed. Kate wants to talk to her father anyway about the investigative work he's going to need from her for his wrongful death suit. Castle offers to go through files with her. Stroking her fingers down his arm, she admits that she is counting on his help.

* * *

The Beckett storage unit is full but organized. Johanna's wedding dress is there, sealed in an airtight box, with a warning label that it's preserved in nitrogen. There are plastic crates filled with tote pads that Jim Beckett used to keep his own statistics at baseball games. There are also rows of banker's boxes containing Johanna Beckett's files. The files are arranged alphabetically rather than by year. Kate's search will not be an easy one. Castle pulls a box of finger cots out of his pocket and offers some to her.

Many of Johanna's notes are in her own unique shorthand, a code Kate has never been able to crack, but the legal filings, which would have been public and accessible without the need for a subpoena, contain the information Kate says that she needs. Five hours of searching yields five more of Bracken's cases where Johanna had uncovered evidence that cleared her clients.

Castle uses the back of his hand to swipe at his eyes and shakes his head. No wonder Bracken had Coonan go after Kate's mother and anyone else cognizant of the Pulgattti case. He knew that if Johanna got involved with Pulgatti, the whole shakedown scheme the rogue cops had been perpetrating, and the funneling of the ransoms to Bracken, would be uncovered. It's apparent from whom Kate inherited her detective skills.

Kate doesn't want to quit, but Castle is starving, and he's pretty sure she must be in similar condition. He proposes that they at least take a dinner break and secure copies of the files she needs - just in case some sort of "accident" happens at the storage facility. Kate thinks she'll try to get her father's permission to move the wedding dress to a safer place as well. She's wondering if she might even wear it at her wedding to Castle. He already sees visions of Kate gliding down the aisle in flowing white.

* * *

After scanning Joanna's files, Castle stows hard copies in his safe in the loft and uploads digital versions to several locations in the cloud. If anyone goes after them, they'll be unlikely to be able to get everything.

Kate's started working on a salad in the kitchen. She likes chopping better than tearing – at least where leafy greens are concerned - and she's more adept with a knife than Castle is. He joins her to take care of the entrée. Using a Champagne bottle to pound skinless breasts into submission, he creates a chicken piccata. He substitutes chicken broth for white wine, but otherwise leaves the recipe intact. Deglazing the pan to form the sauce will have to be timed perfectly, but he and Kate have learned to share culinary space without bumping elbows and sync their tasks to the minute.

* * *

The meal is a renewal for both body and spirit, and they return for another session in the Beckett storage locker. Before they take another stab at the files, Castle spots a box labeled "Katie's toys." He can't resist knowing what fascinated little Katie Beckett. He's half expecting a collection of toy guns and motorcycles but instead finds a Barbie Styling Head complete with old makeup. He's familiar enough with girls' playthings to know that the tubes and pots were not manufactured by Mattel. Kate sheepishly admits that she "borrowed" some of her mother's makeup. When her father found out, he took her to Macy's and made her use her own allowance to replace what she took. After that, she did some errands for the neighbors to save up for some of her own. Years later, when she did a makeover for Maddie Queller, she borrowed from her mother again but immediately dipped into her motorcycle fund to replace it. Her father's lessons stuck.

Castle is gaining more admiration for Jim Beckett by the second. Anyone who could knock a lesson like that into Kate is a person to be reckoned with. Apparently, Kate's sense of justice comes from both sides of her family.

They find three more cases before calling it a night at midnight. Castle snaps photos of all the relevant pages and sends them to both his printer and the special storage he set up online.

Both of them need to shower off the dust before getting between clean sheets. Castle's grateful for the loft's double shower, even if neither of them has the energy left to do anything but wash. Kate's hair is towel but not blow-dried and is still damp when they make it to bed. To Castle, she looks like a mermaid, washed up on a beach, with her moist locks fanning out around her. He idly wonders what she would look like in a shimmery tail, but decides her own tail is perfect the way it is - as is the rest of her.

He closes his eyes to images of file cabinets tossed by violent waves. A man's head trying desperately to stay above water belongs to William Bracken. One after another, the file cabinets collide with his face, leaving bloody gashes, until the senator sinks beneath the waves. Bracken's absence leaves a brilliant sun shining over a calm and sparkling sapphire sea.

A/N Guest, we are talking about the same Kate Beckett who was more concerned that Castle didn't see her naked than she was about getting out of a burning apartment. The woman, like all of us, has her quirks. Secondly, it is still too early in the pregnancy for a heartbeat. At Kate's current stage, the fetus is still a ball of cells. No ultrasound. Nothing to see or hear. This was just Kate's first visit to the OB. She had the home tests as soon as she missed her period. She could have been only a few days pregnant at the time. Lanie just gave her a check before she went into hiding to make sure she was OK and confirm that the tests were accurate. An in-lab HCG is more accurate than a drugstore version. Castle can hear the heartbeat when there is a heart. There should be one at Kate's next OB visit.


	17. Chapter 17

Love's Gift

Chapter 17

Marvin Gorelick could be politely described as heavyset. The picture of him in Johanna Beckett's file had been gaunt, almost skeletal. Apparently, since his release from wrongful confinement, he'd been making up for insufficient nutrition. He stares at Kate, much the way Pulgatti had, remarking on her resemblance to her mother and how grateful he was that Johanna Beckett had responded to his plea for help.

Kate seems pleased at Marvin's response but wants to get right into her questions, particularly, the evidence that had been excluded from Marvin's trial. He's eager to talk about it. There had been statements made to the police from several witnesses that the perpetrator of an armed robbery, though masked, had a long scar on his right arm. Marvin points to his unmarked skin. Marvin's court-assigned attorney never received the statements in discovery and had neither the time nor the budget to do an investigation of his own.

Marvin had been caught on a traffic cam driving away from the area. He had a minor joy-riding beef when he was 19, which was enough to get him picked up. That paired with the fact that he had no alibi was enough to get him charged. Bracken had managed to come up with testimony from a woman who thought Marvin's voice sounded like that of the culprit. It turned out that Bracken had threatened to prosecute her as an accomplice, to persuade her to finger Marvin, but she eventually recanted her testimony.

A weapon was recovered after another robbery months later. The fingerprints matched a Skeezix Grubton, who had a scar on his arm matching the descriptions from the witnesses to the robbery for which Marvin was sent to prison. Johanna Beckett uncovered all of that to get Marvin's conviction overturned.

When Johanna was killed, Marvin joined The Freedom Project in her honor and is still a member. He tells Kate that he had a party when Bracken was arrested and hopes that the man will never see the light of day again. Kate and Castle emphatically agree.

* * *

After they leave, Castle wonders what happened to "Skeezix" Grubton. Kate calls to ask the now reinstated Esposito to get into the prisoner database to find out. While they're waiting to hear back, Castle asks Kate if other than wearing her mother's dress, she's given any thought to the kind of wedding she wants. He thinks that if she wants to fit into the gown, the marriage might have to be within the next few months. He's not about to try to rush her - and spending as much time as he spent backstage in the theater while he was growing up, he's seen some pretty clever tricks to make costumes fit and flatter. He imagines that in a pinch, his mother knows someone who could work that kind of magic. Still, even with unearthing all of Bracken's slimy history, making Kate his wife is never far from his mind.

Kate confesses that she has pictured a wedding on the lawn of his house in the Hamptons, overlooking the sea, but until they know that Bracken's network of thugs is gone, she can't cope with thinking about much of anything else. He can understand. Right now, he'd rather dream about a lifetime with Kate, than obsess about Bracken's minions, but he's not the one who had a bullet in his chest.

Esposito calls back and tells Kate that Grubton is out of prison and living at a halfway house for cons trying to get back on their feet. What better way for him to get on a righteous path than to spill his guts about Bracken - if he has anything to spill.

Grubton is nervous about talking to Kate. He's seen what happened to men who got on the wrong side of Bracken and he would prefer to stay among the living. Kate points out that his best chance of doing that is making sure that there's no one on the streets still doing Bracken's bidding. Crossing himself, he agrees to tell his story.

Bracken learned that Grubton was pulling off robberies, some much bigger than the one Marvin Gorelick went down for, but offered to protect him in exchange for a share of whatever he pulled in and whatever information Grubton could pick up on easily prosecutable cases. At the time it had seemed like a no-brainer. Grubton thought he could get away with whatever he wanted, but when he was captured at the scene of his last robbery, Bracken left him to twist in the wind. Even if anyone would have believed him, he couldn't narc on Bracken, too many people who were a threat to the D.A. either met with accidents or disappeared.

He did his time, but a nun started visiting him in prison, and gradually she convinced him that he still had a chance to become a decent citizen. That's what he's trying to do now. Sister Mary got him a job doing oil changes and rotating tires, and he wants to learn more about fixing cars. As Kate and Castle are leaving, Grubton tells them that he'll pray that Kate will succeed in making sure that Bracken can't reach out from prison to hurt anyone else.

* * *

While Castle and Kate are in the elevator on the way up to his loft, she get's a call from Jordan. Her team has something on Roderick Murphy. He's been in contact with a prison trustee who can get word to Bracken. The trustee is under surveillance, and as soon as the message is delivered, they'll be prepared to close in on Murphy. She has no idea how long that will take, but she expects it to be soon.

Kate won't stop pacing the floor. Castle can't tempt her with food or find anything else to distract her. He's having a hard-enough time distracting himself. Finally, he turns on the TV in his office. The screen immediately claims both his attention and Kate's. There is a fire at 1PP, thought to have started in the Criminal Records Section. A battalion has been called in to fight the blaze.

The press is being kept at a distance, and the smoke-filled air makes seeing any detail in the broadcast images difficult. The reporter closest to the scene has very little she can tell her audience, other than that personnel seem to have followed the evacuation plan, and the F.D.N.Y. is trying to determine if anyone is unaccounted for. A number of both members of the N.Y.P.D. and civilian workers have been transported to hospitals for smoke inhalation, but so far, no deaths or critical injuries have been reported. While the first priority is human lives, in the days ahead an assessment will have to be made of what records and evidence have been destroyed. The loss is expected to be extensive.

Kate and Castle turn to each other, mouthing "the warehouse." If the bank records relating to her mother's case were destroyed to cover up Bracken's connection to Raglan, McCallister, and Montgomery, is it possible the fire was set to cover up his links to other crimes?

Castle remembers one of the files he located and grabs the hard copy from the safe. The subject is an accused arsonist named Conway Felkar. He was originally implicated in a fire and accelerants were found in his garage. He claimed the chemicals had been planted. Johanna's suspicions were aroused because none of the containers had fingerprints on them. It made no sense that Conway would wipe his prints from evidence and then leave it in his garage. Eventually, Johanna found witnesses and video to support Conway's alibi, and his conviction was reversed on appeal.

There was another suspect, a James Camerling, but Bracken chose not to charge him. If Bracken and Camerling made a deal, it seems very possible that Camerling was responsible for the destruction of bank records that led to Bracken. It's not too much more of a stretch to believe that he might be involved in the 1PP fire as well.

A/N Yes, Guest, Murchison is fictional like Hudson University. One thing I pulled from real life is the idea of a school that views plagiarism as the worst possible offense. My college was like that. I hope it still is. At the time, there were no such things as plagiarism filters. There are now. Every article I write for money must pass through them. However, there is a large industry that recruits writers to ghost papers, lab reports, theses, etc. One such organization tried to sign me up. When I saw what the actual assignments were, I was horrified and opted out. How would you like to drive over a bridge built by someone who had his lab reports ghosted? The thought gives me the shivers. Considering that he felt guilty for about 30 years for having someone ghost his term paper on Jordan Motors, Castle didn't think much of the practice either.


	18. Chapter 18

Love's Gift

Chapter 18

Castle's eyes are gritty. He was up much of the night following coverage of the fire and trying to get enough words down on the page to fulfill is writing obligations. He pushes himself up on his elbows. Kate is already awake. He can hear her in the shower. She was tracking the fire as well but managed to get to bed while he was still at his keyboard. As a cop, she often pushed herself beyond her limits, but with the baby on board, she's making a better effort to take care of herself. He's proud of her for that and wishes he could follow suit, but she's always had one job and as her shadow, he's had two - as much as he procrastinated with his writing chores.

He's not procrastinating now - at least not if he can help it. He has a whole new future to ensure - two futures including Kate. He's well aware that she is determined to make her own way, but that doesn't mean he can't smooth her path a little. Even if he were scrambling for minimum wage, he'd still be doing his best for his family. He's seen a lot of both men and women in New York doing just that. He fuzzily remembers his mother standing on a street corner during tax season dressed as Lady Liberty, to scrape up the rent.

Fortunately, the book is going well. He'll need more input from Kate when he fine tunes the details, but the story is flowing effortlessly, almost forcing itself from the tips of his fingers. It's cathartic. Transformed into fictional characters, Bracken and his murderous henchmen lose some of their ability to instill terror in him - if hopefully not in his readers.

Kate emerges from the bathroom wrapped in a towel and offers to start breakfast if he wants to grab a shower himself. Seeing her curves outlined in damp terrycloth, a shower is not what he wants to grab, but they have work to do. With the destruction of the archives at 1PP, the research they've done and the interviews they're conducting are even more critical. Castle forces himself out of bed to let pelting water counteract Morpheus' lure.

Kate's been ambitious - or maybe just hungry. She's sliced one of the steaks he keeps stowed in the freezer thin and combined it with peppery eggs. A bowl of mandarin orange sections is on the counter next to a stack of whole wheat toast. Her cell rings just as she pops the last piece of fruit into her mouth.

Jordan Shaw announces that her team has gathered enough evidence on Roderick Murphy to get a warrant to search his home and charge him with conspiracy. She and Avery are going to be interrogating him, and she wants to know if Kate and Castle want a ringside seat. Castle can't decide if he or Kate is more eager to see the FBI mole grilled over an open flame. Kate tells him she just wishes that she could be the one to do the questioning. Castle would love to see her put Murphy in the hot seat too and maybe go a few rounds of his own, but watching is a lot better than nothing. He can bring his own popcorn - the good stuff.

* * *

Agent Avery opens a leather-bound ledger and pushes it across the table. "Do you recognize that?"

Roderick stares at it stone-faced.

"You should," Jordan interjects. "It was taken from a safe in your study along with about a hundred thousand dollars in cash. Don't worry; we'll maintain the chain of custody. We wouldn't want to lose anything, or have the judge exclude any evidence." She uses her fingernail to tap the book lying in front of Murphy. "These listings, for example. These payments are to the men who just happened to be captured invading the FBI safe house where we were keeping Kate Beckett and Richard Castle." She points to the last entry. "And this one. This fellow is a suspected arsonist, but somehow the evidence against him staged a disappearing act. Interesting that his M.O. matches the fire that was set at Police Headquarters last night - and that someone gained entry by flashing FBI credentials."

"Some coincidence," Avery adds.

Our people haven't finished going through your records yet," Jordan continues. "You've been a very bad boy for a very long time; back to your college days and your adventures with William Bracken in the Pen and Saber Society. Maybe if you two are lucky, you can tap messages to each other on the walls of your prison cells. It will help pass the time for the next 50 or 60 years."

Castle leans forward, a few kernels of popcorn overtopping the edge of his bowl. Murphy pulls at his collar. Castle can see him breaking.

"There has to be a way to make a deal."

Castle grabs Kate's hand and lifts it in triumph as they watch Jordan demand the name of everyone Murphy knows who's connected with Bracken. Although some of them are contained in the pages of the ledger, other names are new - like the highly placed member of the N.Y.P.D. who ensured that the arsonist's work could be done without a video alert or discovery by a guard. Murphy also gives up operatives of the Drug Enforcement Administration and officials of several other government agencies, including the IRS. Jordan and her team are going to have to spearhead one hell of a roundup.

* * *

Castle would love to pop open a bottle of obscenely expensive Champagne, but he's not about to drink anything Kate can't share. There's still a lot of work to be done with cases stretching back decades. It will be all the more difficult with the archives of the N.Y.P.D. gone, but there are ways, there are always ways.

He'll be employing the services of Morty and his operatives for a while yet, until he's entirely sure that Bracken's deadly web is truly destroyed, but he'll be notifying his mother and Alexis that they should make plans to come home - as soon as they've found a way to ship all their newly purchased treasures and fashion finds back to the states.

The box with Johanna Beckett's wedding dress is lying on their bed. Kate is just staring at it. Castle asks her what's wrong. She turns and throws her arms around his waist, exclaiming that nothing is wrong. She just didn't expect to be able to start planning their wedding in earnest so soon really.

Pulling her closer, he queries if she still is thinking of having it at the house in the Hamptons. She admits that she has another dream. Her mother and father were married at The Cloisters, a place they used to go for cheap dates. She'd love to wear the dress in that setting, just as her mother did, but she doubts that they can reserve the popular venue anytime soon.

Castle grins down at her and kisses her hair, explaining that not only is he a patron of the Met, which oversees the landmark, but he is well acquainted with several members of the board.

Kate raises an eyebrow inquiring if they are female members of the board.

Castle confesses that two out of three of them are, but quickly adds that they're acquainted because he knows them through the PTA at Alexis' high school, not because there have ever been any romantic entanglements. They both owe him for safeguarding on their offspring during field trips. He believes that Kate stands a pretty good chance of retracing her mother's steps.

Rising on bare toes, Kate whispers that she loves him - just before their lips meet.


	19. Chapter 19

Love's Gift

Chapter 19

Castle leads the way into a small walled off area surrounding some statuary, remarking that if it were a weekend, they'd be competing with high school students for the make-out spot. As sparsely populated as The Cloisters is at that moment, they have the secluded nook to themselves. Kate sighs and settles into his arms. They've walked the grounds. She's already used her phone to snap photos of several spots which would be perfect for their ceremony, but she doesn't want to pick one just yet. She needs to go through her parent's wedding album and see if any of the pictures match up. She says she asked her father for the exact location of his wedding, but he confided that his eyes were so filled with her mother that he doesn't remember. Castle can understand that. As photographic as his memory often is, the sight of Kate coming down the aisle toward him would blot out the scenery as well. However, Kate had best retrieve the album and decide quickly. Even with his friends exerting undue influence, a reservation can't be held open long.

* * *

Usually, the subway would be the fastest way to travel back and forth from lower Manhattan to the museum's locale in Fort Tryon Park. Unfortunately, to remain securely under the watchful eyes of the operative Morty has assigned for the day, they need to go by car, on a route often laced with the frustration of stop and go traffic.

Kate calls her father ahead, with her request that he have the treasured album ready. Castle applauds her skill when after claiming the driver's seat, she manages to catch almost every green light on FDR Drive. Even with Kate's expertise, it still takes over an hour for them to reach Jim Beckett's office.

* * *

He has more than his marital memento waiting for Kate. There is a stack of files requiring a preliminary inspection by her investigative eyes. He apologizes for tightening the schedule for pursuing his suit but explains that the client is getting anxious and has enlisted a family friend - an influential one - to push for an opening on the court docket. He needs to be ready.

Kate couldn't be more pleased. With the FBI going full bore to capture Bracken's willing and unwilling minions, the work she and Castle were doing on the case has come to a halt. She needs something to do besides planning the wedding, which she hopes to keep as simple as possible. Castle is aware through bitter experience that nothing about planning a wedding is simple, but if Kate needs more help than he can give, New York is full of professionals who earn their keep by finding the perfect flowers, napkin color, and cardstock.

While still at Jim's office, Kate pages through the photographs her parents so lovingly preserved. She whispers to Castle that she doesn't think she's ever seen a look in her father's eyes like the one captured as her mother is coming down the aisle toward him. Even now, as joyful as the discussion of their upcoming nuptials is, his smile is tinged with sadness. Castle has observed that same expression on Kate, but he hopes to see it disappear as she can finally put Johanna's murder behind her and start her new life with him and the baby.

As yet, the only one Kate has told about the pregnancy is Lanie. Castle knows better than to open his own mouth until Kate is ready to reveal their secret. He has some experience with keeping a lid on a blessed event. To be eligible for the roles she wanted, Meredith had kept Alexis' impending birth under wraps until the best costume mistress in the world could no longer conceal her ballooning shape. He hopes Kate won't wait that long - certainly not to alert the family - but he'll hold his peace until she sounds the all-clear.

Kate points excitedly at a picture, comparing it to the image on her phone. Her parents were married on the exact spot she chose as her favorite. Castle immediately pulls out his cell to pin down their date. It will be tight. They'll have less than two months to make sure everything is set. It's just as well. If Johanna's dress needs alterations, they will be minimal, and there won't be anything for the guests to stare at except the exquisite countenance of his bride.

* * *

Kate has spread Jim Beckett's case files out on the table in the loft. The examination she is giving them is far from preliminary. She's carefully studying every detail. Castle brings her latest drink of choice - 50-50 carrot and orange juice. He can't dispute the nutritional content, but the potion doesn't store well. After 24 hours, fresh from scratch carrot juice has a tendency to ferment. It's nothing he would personally mind, but he appreciates Kate's total avoidance of anything even remotely alcoholic for the good of the baby.

Kate is poring over an accident report and relating what she is reading. As a result of termite damage, part of a building had collapsed on the deceased brother, Carney Velmer, of Jim Beckett's client, Jillian Velmer. The building had been inspected only two months before. She can see several possible scenarios. The inspector might have been incompetent. He might have seen evidence of termites and been bribed to ignore it. It's also possible that the owners of the building had falsified his findings.

It will be up to her to determine precisely what happened and who was responsible. That will mean gathering sufficient information to enable her father to ask all the right questions during depositions. It won't be easy. As a civilian, she has no standing to grill anyone about anything, and they will face no penalty if they lie to her.

Castle suggests that he may be able to help. If he claims that they're gathering background for one of his books - which may turn out to be the case - he expects people will be a lot more willing to talk. In his experience, the public's lust for seeing their names in print, even as an acknowledgment in an appendix, is exceeded only by their desire to see themselves on TV.

Kate admits that he may be right. He's been questioning people without any real authority for years. She's new to the game. He proposes that they make a trip to the Hall of Records with a box of cronuts, just before coffee break time the next morning. There are several clerks he knows who have a taste for expensive pastry. If there are any secrets to be uncovered about the building in question, one of the cronut-eaters may be privy to them.

In the meantime, he has a perfect plan for the evening. The Murders and Mysteries Channel is running a marathon of wedding themed whodunits. He and Kate can see how far ahead of the intrepid amateur detectives they can guess the perpetrators. Kate drapes herself across his lap, inquiring what the prize for the quickest correct solution will be. Cupping her breast, he suggests that it should be the winner's choice. Springing up from his thighs, she sprints to his office to turn on the television. He follows more slowly, anticipating his pleasure that night to rest more in peeling back the layers of the mystery that is Katherine Beckett than in solving any enigma on the screen.


	20. Chapter 20

Love's Gift

Chapter 20

Kate stretches before snuggling back into Castle's shoulder. She wants to know what his clue was that the murderer was the gardener. He confesses that he didn't need one. He noticed the name of the production company, and knew that they always follow the same format. The killer is a character introduced in the first six minutes of the movie who seems to have no importance in the plot. He adds that he uses a very similar trick to figure out the killer in old Perry Mason reruns, except, in that case, it's the best-paid actor who has no other place in the story. She sighs, wishing real life was that simple.

Castle agrees, pointing out that they'd best get moving. He sent an email to the bakery during a commercial the night before, asking the owner to hold three boxes of cronuts for him - for a considerable fee. Even so, if the shop gets a better offer, it will release them. He bid high, but you can never know when a cronut fanatic will arrive with a jones and a wad of cash.

* * *

Castle hands the bag of pastry boxes to Kate while he finishes paying his bribe. The Hall of Records is within walking distance. It's one of the cooler mornings New York has had that summer and Kate's hand in his feels wonderful as they make their way through rushing pedestrians. Any one of them could have a knife or a gun, but Castle has some security in knowing that one of Morty's guardian angels is a few feet behind them.

They arrive at the hall at 10 a.m., just in time to catch Titus Oliver before he goes in search of a mocha latte. The cronuts and Castle's promise to name a character after Titus' favorite aunt, gain the couple access to the inspection reports for 30130 Minot Way. The building is relatively new, having been built in the construction boom before the last recession. There was a note from an initial inspection when the building was going up, that Douglas fir had been specified for termite resistance, but the builder lacked the receipts to show that it had actually been used. There was no explicit code violation cited, but the inspector did recommend verification by a lab test to assure that more susceptible pine had not been substituted. The file shows no evidence of any such test ever having been performed. Castle flips through the rest of the paperwork while Kate sends a text to her father asking him to request an analysis to identify the wood.

Castle notices that on the last inspection, no termite damage had been noted, but there was evidence of a water leak. He can recall one of the contractors who worked on his loft recommending replacing the pipes because minor leaks from the old ones could attract all kinds of pests - including termites. There are further reports written after the Minot Way building was repaired, but no notations about pipes.

Kate decides that they'll need to investigate further to see if the owners of the building had the plumbing work done. That won't be easy. When Kate and Castle had been at his office, Jim Beckett had said that the building owners and their attorney were stonewalling. But Kate has another idea. The building had a maintenance man, Nick Alexandros. He lost his job after Carney Velmer was killed. There's a good chance he might be willing to tell Kate just what repairs the owners of the building had authorized.

Castle has a sign-on for a search application that may yield Alexandros' contact information, but it's PC-based, and he and Kate will have to return to the loft to use it.

* * *

Alexandros' voicemail instructs callers to leave a message. While Kate is waiting to hear back, she and Castle decide to work on the guest list for the wedding. Kate doesn't want it to be too big, and Castle doesn't blame her. His wedding to Gina was huge. Gina wanted every author Castle knew, the more prominent, the better, to attend. Every executive in the publishing world was invited as well as family, friends and all of Gina's sorority sisters and their plus ones. Not only had the affair put his credit cards through the wringer, but he'd also been so worn-out trying to schmooze all the guests Gina was intent on impressing, that he'd been too drained to enjoy the party or its aftermath.

He desperately wants to absorb every moment of his wedding to Kate. The two of them decide that they'll limit guests to family and the kind of friends they'd enjoy hanging out with even if they weren't getting married. Castle discovers that Kate has cousins he never heard about. That starts him thinking again about his own family - on his father's side. How many uncles, aunts, and cousins doesn't he know about? Given what he's discovered about his father, does he even want to know? He pushes worries about his paternal line to the back of his mind. The list he and Kate have come up with fills most of the top sheet of a legal pad. The group will make for a glorious celebration - and a catering bill that doesn't resemble the national debt.

After the outdoor ceremony, the reception can easily be held inside one of the rooms at the museum, surrounded by art. If it rains, the pledging of vows can be moved indoors as well. Castle would love to see Kate glowing in sunlight but getting married to her is the only thing that counts.

The call from Nick Alexandros comes unexpectedly early. Kate puts her phone on speaker and Castle can hear the eagerness in the man's voice as he offers to meet anywhere that's convenient for Kate. She proposes a back booth at Remy's, and Nick agrees. Castle muses that whether Alexandros has any useful information or not, Kate can get the baby accustomed to one of the strawberry shakes she loves so much.

* * *

Alexandros is short and dark. His hands are rough and his biceps well-developed from decades of physical labor. Even without knowing the man, Castle can see the anger in his eyes. He barely touches the fried zucchini he'd ordered as he tells his story. Nick had always felt that the owners of the Minot Way property had cut corners in its construction. He had no problem with doing his job, but things broke that shouldn't have broken, and he had almost no budget to fix them. He explains that several times he'd dug into his own pocket for materials and had never been reimbursed. He was convinced that the plumbing was below code, with substandard pipe. He'd seen signs that there was slow leakage in the walls and reported it but couldn't get authorization for the kind of repairs needed to remedy the situation. He wasn't surprised at the appearance of termites, along with a rise in the roach population. He'd even seen a few rats. Roaches and rodents, he could kill, but to do anything about the termites, he would have needed chemicals he wasn't licensed to use. There was no way the owners of the building would approve hiring anyone with the proper certification.

Sooner or later, the building was headed for disaster. It was almost inevitable that when it came, the owners would blame him. With that hanging over his head, it is nearly impossible for him to get another steady maintenance job. He's been picking up handyman work wherever he can. Before Nick leaves, Castle offers to call a friend who's working on refurbishing an old brownstone, to get him an interview.

After Nick leaves the restaurant, Kate sucks up the last of her shake through an oversized straw. Castle can't resist kissing the sticky sweetness from her lips before they return to the loft to continue their feast.


	21. Chapter 21

Love's Gift

Chapter 21

Castle is staring at his phone as Kate comes into the kitchen, and he distractedly kisses her good morning before returning to his study of the screen. He can detect the annoyance in her voice as she demands to know what's got him so enthralled. He explains that his mother and Alexis have sent him an email saying that they've decided to take a cruise back to the United States instead of flying. Their voyage will be involving several points of call so they won't be arriving for two weeks.

Kate points out that the delay may be a good thing. It will give law enforcement more time to clean up any of Bracken's slime that may yet ooze out from under a rock. Castle agrees, but while he's reveling in the time he's spending alone with Kate, he does miss his daughter and even occasionally his mother. He doesn't have that much time left to spend with Alexis before she moves to a dormitory at Columbia in the fall.

Kate runs her fingertips down the stubble-roughened line of his jaw, gently reminding him that he is embarking on a whole new chapter of fatherhood. Once the baby arrives, he'll be able to give his nurturing impulses free rein. He knows she's right - up to a point. Caring for an infant and freedom don't exactly go hand in hand, but her delighted anticipation of their future together does help push aside any misgivings he has about further delays in reuniting with his family. The extra couple of weeks will also give him and Kate more time to get the wedding plans solidified before his mother tries to inject her unique creative vision into the event.

Kate puts her phone on speaker when Jim Beckett calls with a more pressing problem. The wood from the fallen part of the building isn't available for testing. He'll need a sample from the existing structure to determine if the specifications for termite resistance had actually been followed. The owner's attorney has already issued a flat refusal. Jim can eventually fight the matter out in court, but if Kate can manage to get him what he needs, he'll have a much better handle on where his case stands.

Castle grins at Kate. He's already picturing a midnight raid, complete with Kate's curves enticingly clad in a formfitting black jumpsuit. She tells him that as much as she might enjoy the stealthy gambit, there might be an easier way of getting what her father needs. She proposes that she and Castle pose as lovers looking to rent an apartment. They can come up with some excuse to get whoever shows one to them out of the way for a while. Then they can dig out a small sample of wood from some spot where the loss won't be noticed until they're long gone.

Castle mourns the lack of intrigue but agrees that Kate's plan is safer - and they certainly don't need any acting skills to portray a man and woman besotted with each other. Kate makes an appointment with the superintendent of 30130 Minot Way for late that afternoon.

* * *

Maggie Fletcher is far from conscientious. Castle is hiding his semi-famous face behind heavy tortoise-shell glasses, but the super barely glances at him or at Kate as she unlocks the door of a vacant apartment. Muttering that she has other things to attend to, which Castle guesses is a soap opera he heard playing in her office, she hands him a slip of paper with a URL on it and waves him and Kate over the threshold. Maggie warns them that the door will lock automatically behind them when they leave and urges them not to forget anything inside. She hurriedly adds that if they are interested in renting the apartment, they should apply online and make sure to provide their references and financial information.

As soon as Maggie beats her retreat into the elevator, Castle holds up his hand to Kate for a high-five. Thanks to _One Life to Grieve_ , their caper is going to be even easier than they thought. He pulls a stud finder out of his pocket and starts checking for a likely spot in the most unnoticeable location they can find. He discovers it in the less than generous closet in the second bedroom. Kate snaps open her knife, a move he has always found sexy. She cuts through the cheap drywall to dig out a chunk of wood big enough for analysis and drops it in a small paper bag.

From another pocket, Castle pulls out a length of mesh-like tape and a tube of toothpaste. He confesses to Kate that this type of quickly executed repair is the way he managed to avoid losing his damage deposits when he was a starving student. Kate suggests that they get out of there before Maggie finds the energy to check on them.

The lobby of the building is empty except for the mail carrier stuffing letters into the mailboxes. Castle can see that almost all the receptacles are labeled with names and apartment numbers. In New York, even in a building with as spotty a history as this one has, occupancy rates are high. It's no wonder that landlords can quite literally get away with murder.

* * *

It's close to dinner time when Kate and Castle drop their furtively obtained acquisition at Jim Beckett's office. He's just returning from court and proposes that they all go to out to eat at Katie's favorite diner. Castle has no idea what that is. It's a piece of Kate's history she has yet to communicate.

* * *

The restaurant is smaller, but otherwise very much like Remy's. The booths are old fashioned with indented leatherette upholstery that marks the passage of time and numerous derrieres. Both old-fashioned milkshakes and malts crafted in metal containers on vintage machines are on the menu. The hamburgers and cheeseburgers are accompanied by crisp fries, fresh coleslaw, and genuine kosher dill pickle spears. Matterhorn sundaes and large wedges of freshly baked pie are shamelessly offered for dessert. The eatery screams comfort with a capital "C" and Kate and her father barely need to glance at their menus before ordering.

Castle is so busy observing Kate's obvious enjoyment of her food and imagining the fries landing in the mouth of the baby that he almost misses Jim's concerned query about the man who trailed them to the diner and now occupies a nearby booth. When Castle explains, Jim seems both grateful for the action Castle's taking to keep Katie safe and disturbed that he believes it's still necessary.

Kate quickly jumps in claiming that their minder is just a precaution and that as far as the FBI knows, there are no more of Bracken's murderous toadies on the street. Jim and Castle exchange guarded looks and the last of Jim's pie goes uneaten.

Kate is startled by a ringtone she hadn't expected to hear. Her call is from Victoria Gates. Kate agrees to be somewhere the next morning before terminating the exchange and shoving her cell back in her pocket. After Castle sends her a questioning glance, she tells him that the mayor has requested that the department put together a task force of both cops and civilians to reconstruct as may as possible of the case records lost in the fire at 1PP. She adds that it was evident from her conversation with Gates that the captain didn't agree, but Mayor Weldon wants Kate to be part of the endeavor, so she'll be attending a meeting at the temporary headquarters of the department. She'll be part of the team planning out the goals and procedures for the project.

Castle proclaims that he can't imagine anyone better for the job and Jim Beckett nods his enthusiastic agreement. Castle believes that Jim may be thinking, with relief, something very similar to what's on Castle's mind: Kate will have the chance to do the real police work she loves but be out of the line of fire.


	22. Chapter 22

Love's Gift

Chapter 22

Castle can tell that Kate is nervous. She spent the night tossing in his arms and even now is restless beside him. He shuts down the alarm before it can go off and kisses her awake. "It's going to be a big day."

She admits that she's worried about going up against the egos of the brass that will be in the room when her team gets their Records Reconstruction Force started. She's afraid that they'll be as resentful as Gates was at the mayor's insistence that she be included on the roster.

Castle reminds her that Gates was also ticked off that mayor Weldon insisted that he should be allowed to work with the N.Y.P.D., but that didn't stop the irascible captain from putting his skills to work or taking the credit when he and Kate upped the case closure rate. Caressing the sensitive skin between her thighs, he suggests that they explore just how creative - and fierce - Kate can be.

In response to his challenge, she nips at his ear, before letting the tip of her tongue work its way slowly downward. Castle is rapidly going mad as she traces damp patterns over his belly. She gasps as his finger draws a design on of its own in her moist heat. Her mouth takes him in, even as she writhes against the pressure of his hand. Sheathed in their own blaze, they kick the bedclothes to the floor, urgently struggling to further stoke the flames. He can feel his first drop reach her mouth as she pulls back to guide him within her emptiness screaming to be filled. Her intimate muscles ripple against his velvet shaft as the bed creaks its complaints beneath them. Castle doesn't care. He can always purchase new furniture, but no amount of money could buy the soul-searing intensity he experiences with Kate. A shower of sparks explodes behind his eyes as they pull each other over the edge of reason.

* * *

Castle hurries through making breakfast while Kate dries her hair. She'll make her entrance at her meeting on time and in charge, energized by his patent-worthy pancakes. She'll be competing with a caffeinated crowd, but she needs no artificial buzz to spark her power. Whatever the bureaucrats have in mind, she'll be miles ahead of them. He just wishes he could be a fly on the wall. He makes a mental note for Rook to figure out how to do that - perhaps with a miniaturized drone- in the next chapter of his book.

He needs to get through the current chapter first. After claiming his goodbye kiss as Kate rushes out the door, he settles in front of his laptop. There's an email waiting for him that Alexis transmitted during the night. It's complete with pictures. She and his mother boarded the luxury liner in Cannes, and according to Alexis, her Gram's graydar immediately went off upon spotting a businessman taking the opportunity for a holiday on his way back to New York. Castle's mother did the walk of shamelessness in the morning, having missed both breakfast and the midmorning buffet. Castle is grateful that Alexis confides that she has yet to make a romantic connection of her own but has signed up to be part of the passenger musical, which should keep her busy between stopovers. She warns her father that she and Gram already have enough luggage to fill a small van and may acquire more before the end of the cruise. That's nothing Castle didn't assume after perusing his last credit card statement. His mother will have to explain who François of Designs by François is, besides a much richer man.

* * *

Nikki and Rook are in a tunnel. It's more interesting than the one Castle and Kate traversed, with mysterious messages from another century engraved on the wall. Rook notes that they are in Dutch, probably dating back to the time when New York was New Amsterdam. Why the basement of the safe house would lead to a structure that ancient is something the unabashedly curious journalist intends to explore - as soon as he and Nikki are no longer fleeing for their lives.

Castle can make the rest of the escape from murderous gunmen pretty close to what actually happened and let Rook further explore New York history in a later chapter. Pounding out the description of Heat's and Rook's cookie-baking hostess, based on Blanche Dubois, doesn't take much effort. He can picture the scenes as they occurred, all he has to do is transfer them to paper with a few adaptations here and there to fit in with the Heat universe.

Another character keeps poking its way into his mind, a tall CIA agent with Castle's eyes. He doesn't want to write about the man, he doesn't even want to think about him, but the dominating presence always seems to be lurking somewhere deep below his consciousness. Castle needs something - or someone - to banish the images from his brain.

Kate arrives just in time, her eyes bright with excitement. She almost glows as she explains that the fire didn't destroy everything. There were bits, and pieces of evidence left untouched and partially burned documents. The trails of clues are tantalizing. The force set priorities involving the reconstruction of cases that would impact future investigations. That plan is more than OK with her. She'll be investigating past, present and future to to fill in the missing pieces of portraits of criminal operations and conspiracies. Cops will be executing much of the field work, especially when armed confrontations might be possible.

Her description of her job sounds perfect to Castle. He's just hoping Kate can actually hold back and let the guys with the guns do the scary stuff, but he's never known Kate to hold back on much of anything. He hasn't been that good at it himself.

He asks Kate where she's going to be working. She explains that since the offices at 1PP were destroyed or rendered unusable by the fire, satellite space is being obtained all over the city until a new more permanent police headquarters can be established. For now, her part of the task force will be taking over the Governor's Room in City Hall.

Castle whistles. "Fancy digs."

Kate rolls her eyes. She insists that despite her choice of The Cloisters as their wedding venue, ornate architecture is the last thing that concerns her. She just wants to do the work.

Her mention of doing the work reminds Castle that he had scheduled an interview with a potential candidate for wedding planner for that evening. With Kate up to her elbows in the hunt for lost evidence and him trying to get his next book out, they'll need the help. Kate is skeptical. After being a bridesmaid six times, she's met a number of wedding planners. She's yet to meet one she'd trust with her own perfect day, but she's reluctantly willing to talk to whomever Castle has in mind.

* * *

It is clear that Brian Haslip has an eye for color. His tie and the triangle of linen in his breast pocket complement his flawlessly tailored suit perfectly. He arrives with a thick binder and a full portfolio. As he begins to outline his strategies for avoiding wedding day catastrophes, Kate seems grudgingly impressed.

Brian offers Kate and Castle worksheets to fill in with everything they consider essential to make their day magical. Castle is surprised at how quickly Kate gets through hers. Despite all the protestations she'd made in the past about not thinking about weddings, she's apparently thought about this one. She's thought about it a lot. When Brian leaves, there's a retainer in the planner's pocket and a smile on Kate's lips.


	23. Chapter 23

Love's Gift

Chapter 23

Castle recalls that when Meredith was waiting for her first ultrasound, she chattered nonstop. Not so with Kate. She is lying quietly except for the faint scratching sound as she runs her fingernails over the edge of the examining table. He can understand why she'd be apprehensive. They both know that something can always go wrong, and their luck has rarely been the best. He for one, can't wait to see the beating heart that will imbue his imaginings with life. He's hoping that once she sees the image on the screen, Kate will share his elation.

He can sense Kate relaxing as Dr. Sabatini works with easy expertise. The doctor explains that the baby isn't much bigger than a lima bean yet but is developing rapidly. The heart is beating, and everything is in the right place. Kate's eyes widen as the baby's movement is visible on the screen. Castle has little doubt that in a few months it will be delivering kicks with a ferocity inherited straight from Kate. He resists the urge to roar, at least until he's in the privacy of the loft, but he can't suppress a grin.

Kate will be returning to City Hall to work, and he'll be going home to prepare for Alexis' and his mother's homecoming. They'll be disembarking some time the next morning, but he anticipates that the process won't go quickly. With the expected volumes of their purchases abroad, clearance by customs may be an adventure - possibly an expensive one. He considered renting a truck but decided to hire a service to transport everything back to the loft once it's off the ship. He can pick up his family himself, under the watchful eye of one of Morty's operatives.

So far, since the last of the FBI's massive roundup, there's been no sign of anyone trying to harm him or Kate, and he's considered letting the security go, but his stomach clenches every time he thinks about it, so he's put off cutting the cord. Bracken's people have been patient before, waiting for just the right time to go after Kate. He's not taking any chances. No amount of money he might save could compensate for the devastation he'd feel if anything happened to his family - including Kate and the baby.

* * *

Alexis's room, as usual, was left in perfect order, requiring only an occasional dusting from his part-time housekeeper while the girl's been gone. His mother has always described the arrangement of her belongings as artistic. He might go along with that if the artist was Picasso during his cubist period. Nonetheless, no one, least of all Castle, would dare disturb anything in the diva's proud disarray. Her things will be as she left them, for better or for worse.

He will, however, have to restock the refrigerator. The loft has been blessedly free of kale, wheatgrass, and sprouts since he and Kate - and the baby - have been the sole occupants. Now, however, his mother will be expecting to make her youth-preserving potions. He'll also have to double the amount of milk, orange juice, and ice cream, to accommodate Alexis' teenage cravings. He might have to triple the ice cream. His daughter has learned to make some truly impressive sundaes.

Even with shopping, he'll have no excuse not to get in a few hours of writing before Kate returns. Not that he wants an excuse. Now that he and Kate are truly together instead of just engaging in a constant banter battle, he's enjoying telling their story. He has yet to explore the issue of marriage let alone pregnancy. Somehow, he doesn't believe Heat could fit the latter into her action-packed existence - at least not yet. That time might come someday. Pregnant Kate is showing no signs of slowing down, even if she is no longer stalking the mean streets. Heat could be the same. He'll hit the corner store and then see how much chronicling of her adventures he can get done.

* * *

While studying the contents of the freezer case, Castle feels the tingle at the back of his neck that warns him he's being watched - and not by his appointed guardian. He surveys the reflection in the glass. The surface is badly in need of Windex, and the image is blurry, but he catches sight of a tall figure with a head of shockingly full white hair. The man is gone in a fraction of a second, almost as if he hadn't been there, but Castle is convinced he's seen someone. He just isn't sure who it was. His minder seems unconcerned. The stranger hadn't made a move that was remotely threatening, but Castle feels a distinct disturbance in the force.

* * *

Kate comments that the expression on Castle's face is smug - even for him. While he teases that he resembles that remark, he really is feeling good. He submitted three chapters to Black Pawn for editing. No doubt they'll come back with the usual critical notations and demands for revisions, but for that moment, a weight is lifted from his shoulders. He can spend the evening with Kate and the next day with Alexis - and his mother - if she is so inclined.

Kate has her own ideas about what she wants to do as soon as she's finished eating for two. She'd stuffed her tote bag with full-sized copies of partially burned records. She is hoping that together, she and Castle might be able to make some sense of them.

It isn't exactly the evening he'd had in mind to celebrate their first view of their baby but for the two of them, building theory together has always been a bonding experience - or something even hotter. The documents will hold a story. He has no idea what it might be, but then that's the fun of it.

* * *

Alexis is building a mountainous creation from Castle's newly acquired stores of frozen confections when Kate makes it home from work. She and Castle managed to reconstruct several documents the night before - apparently detailing the transcript of a conversation recorded during a sting operation to catch a network of phony psychics. As far as Kate has been able to determine, no one had been convicted or even charged. The words implied a lot, but nothing explicit enough to stand up in court. The parties involved were suspected of continuing their activities under the cover of a variety of LLCs. Nothing about that is illegal unless the entities were created with the intention to defraud. Kate wants to prove that they were. Someone died following what they believed to be the guidance of the spirit world. To her, that isn't just fraud, it's homicide.

Kate is unpacking her new load of papers when Alexis lets out a squeal and drops her spoon. The teen jumps down from her stool at the counter to grab Kate's hand and examine the ring. She glares at Castle. "You never told us you and Kate are engaged."

Castle swallows and lists to the left. "I wanted it to be a surprise." He hastily adds, "And I thought we should tell you together."

Kate puts a hand on his shoulder, quickly explaining to Alexis that it wasn't her father's fault. She didn't want him to say anything until Alexis and Martha were back safe and sound.

Alexis' eyes narrow as she regards Castle. "I know that look, Dad. The way you're blinking is your tell. There's something else."

"There certainly is," Martha chimes in, putting down the bottle of red wine with which she'd been filling her crystal goblet. "Out with it, Richard!"

Castle locks gazes with Kate, searching for a sign. Kate hesitantly nods.


	24. Chapter 24

Love's Gift

Chapter 24

"Kate and I are going to have a baby," Castle announces.

While Alexis immediately hugs him and Kate, his mother gives the couple noticeably insincere congratulations. Alexis offers to make dinner so that Kate can have some time to relax with Castle, while her grandmother is pointedly silent. When Kate goes into the bedroom to get out of her work clothes, Castle pulls the older woman aside and demands to know what's going on with her. In typical Martha Rodgers fashion, she grasps his hands and looks straight into his eyes. "Richard, are you getting married just because Kate is pregnant? As much as I love Alexis, you didn't have to marry Meredith. God knows from the way she's behaved all these years, she wouldn't have taken any real responsibility for raising a daughter, whether the two of you were married or not."

Castle can feel the heat rising in his face. "First of all, mother, your arithmetic is faulty. Meredith was not pregnant when I married her, we just had - let's say a very good time - on our honeymoon. I'd been dying inside ever since I broke up with Kyra. I think you know that. I tried to fill the emptiness with Meredith. It didn't work - for either of us. I'll never regret being with her; it gave us Alexis. And Kate isn't like Meredith. She's the love of my life. I would have proposed whether she was pregnant or not. I think the baby just gave me a kick in the butt."

His mother grabs for her wineglass. "I hope you're right, Richard. Now, what are we going to do about your wedding?"

Castle is grateful for the change of subject and to fill his mother in on Johanna's dress and the Cloisters. He emphasizes how the miraculous Brian Haslip has all other nuptial matters well under control and assures her that everything is going to be fine, finishing with a plea for the mother-of-the-groom to just relax and try to enjoy his special day.

* * *

Castle had deliberately planned for a time when his mother and Alexis will be at the theater for Brian's final pre-wedding session with him and Kate. Most of the guests have RSVP'd, but he and Kate have taken the ones who'll just show up, into account. Lanie and Esposito are on the outs, and there's still some question about plus ones. Some of the detectives Kate worked with at the 12th Precinct will only be able to make it if they're not embroiled in a case.

Kate has been staying very busy herself, uncovering more and more pieces of the psychic syndicate. Castle's been helping her when she's asked but is hesitant to intrude uninvited. She's been working hard to prove herself to the skeptics on the task force, and his participation in the investigation and known friendship with the mayor will do nothing to improve the situation.

In any case, he's upped his writing output considerably. He's almost finished with the Nikki Heat he's been working on and has started the first Derrick Storm he's written since nine months before he started shadowing Kate. Considering the hole Castle blew in his hero's head, it's going to take some maneuvering to bring the intrepid spy back to life. He hates the tropishness of the scenario in which Storm fakes his death. Unfortunately, other than writing a prequel, which he is really of no mind to do, there's no way around the overused plot device - unless he introduces alien technology or some secret serum. That sort of thing might go over well with the sci-fi crowd, but it tends to be frowned upon in the genre that caters to most of Castle's audience. He's just going to have to do the best he can to make the story credible.

Involving Clara Strike in his upcoming stories will be painful. The betrayal by Sophia Turner of both him and his country after he'd trusted - and slept with - her had been put him into shock for quite a while. Having her drop the news about his father complicated things even more.

He has a strategy now that will help him get past some of the bumps in the road with Storm. He's going to give him the kind of dad Castle never had but wishes he did. Carl Storm will be a retired FBI agent and entirely dependable. The elder Storm is a fantasy, but a comforting one. Castle expects that the character will be a feel-good experience for his readers as well.

* * *

Brian Haslip arrives, as always, fully prepared, including having a list of payables he presents to Castle. Nothing is unexpected, except for the identity of the DJ for the reception. Castle had leaned toward live music, but Kate wants to dance to Sinatra, who unfortunately is no longer available. They'd planned on using an incredible simulation who'd emerged as a frontrunner on America's Got Talent, but Simon Cowell sent the man on a world tour.

Castle had insisted that if they were going with a DJ, he'd have to own the proper collection of vinyl. Brian located one who fit the bill, but rather than a gray-haired fan of classic jazz, he's a student at the High School of Performing Arts. From his picture, Castle would expect more Bob Marley than Sinatra, but Kate pronounces the young man's demo video fantastic. That settles the matter. As far as Castle's concerned, a guy in a Mickey Mouse costume could play the music if it makes Kate happy.

Brian insists that Kate try on the dress for him in case it needs an emergency refitting. Castle's only seen the gown in its protective box, and Brian insists on keeping it from his view. Castle wouldn't have expected anyone that organized to be superstitious, but he's willing to wait until the appointed day for a magical reveal.

He decides to take a quick look at his Twitter feed while Kate and Brian are behind a closed door. Damn! The time and place of the wedding leaked somehow. It looks like it started with a posting on Twitter from StormingtheCastle1971 and spread to Instagram and Facebook. There are even directions for getting to The Cloisters. He suspects that the social media cascade might have been set off by something overheard from one of the detectives from the 12th whose mouth loosened after a few beers at the Old Haunt. However it happened, the Nikrooks are planning a celebration to coincide with the wedding. Castle finds that touching, but also disturbing. If all the Castle fans know about the ceremony, the world will too. Castle doesn't mind a few paparazzi, except for the obnoxious jerk from Page Seven, but if Bracken still has one of his minions out there, there will be few times that he and Kate would be more vulnerable than during the ceremony. He decides to have Morty up the security - just in case.

Brian emerges from the bedroom with his cell pressed to his ear. Kate explains that although the dress is still comfortable, it has gotten a little tighter in the bust, and Brian is enlisting his go-to seamstress to make sure it's perfect. Leak or not, marrying Kate will be the most perfect thing Castle's ever done.

Now Brian is demanding a look at Castle in his tux. Castle knows he hasn't gained any weight in his bust, but if it puts the planner's mind at ease, he'll agree. Maybe Brian has a trick for cutting down on the time it will take him to get his tie fastened properly. Perfection never comes easy.


	25. Chapter 25

A/N Since there have been some questions about Martha's response to Castle marrying a pregnant Kate, let me clarify. Three things fed into the way I portrayed her reaction. One was Martha's obvious dislike for Meredith in _Always Buy Retail_. She clearly thought it was a mistake for Castle to marry her. The second was Martha's reaction to Raglan's shooting in _Knockdown_. She hated that Castle was in the line of fire. The third is what Martha told Jim in _After Hours_. When Castle is in the field playing cop, Martha lives in constant fear. Much as Martha may respect Kate as a woman of substance, she also knows that all the danger Castle has been in stemmed from being with Kate. Throughout the series, Martha has been protective of her son. She still is.

Love's Gift

Chapter 25

Castle could swear that Brian Haslip has as much control over the weather as he does over flower arrangements and the choice of table settings. The humidity typical of the tail end of a New York City summer has retreated, rendering the commemorative paper fans that have been provided for guests unnecessary except to combat the occasional hot flash. Castle has been segregated from Kate for the last hour, and it seems like an hour too long. Ryan and Esposito, serving as co-best men seem to be trying to keep him distracted with remembrances of the bachelor party at the Old Haunt. Their ramblings involve what happened when the two of them did a throwback rendition of _Don't Go Breaking My Heart_ with Ryan playing Elton John and Espo as Kiki Dee. The two men agree that they would have pulled it off better after a couple more beers.

Castle silently muses over the lack of booze that will be available at the reception. The rules allowing alcohol only in designated picnic areas eliminated the need for any explanations about why the bride would not be drinking Champagne. They also simplified matters for Jim Beckett, who as father-of-the-bride, might be expected to deliver a toast. The drinks will be served in crystal wine glasses but contain nothing more intoxicating than bubbles.

Any lack of revelry associated with the buzz-less beverages will be more than compensated for by the opulence of the food. With the usual allowances for dietary restrictions, the succulent fowls, vegetables, and freshly baked breads will invoke the celebratory atmosphere of a feast in a medieval hall. The tantalizing array of desserts will accommodate everyone from dieters sticking to fresh fruits to an M.E. desperate for empty carbs after starving herself to present the perfect silhouette in her maid-of-honor dress.

Brian did have tips for Castle as to techniques for perfecting his tie, but at the moment it is undone to allow for the passage of as much air as he can draw into his lungs. With his new-found skill, he can fasten it again right before taking his place beneath the leaves and branches of the wedding arbor.

His mother is with Lanie and Kate. Her enthusiasm for Castle's marriage has increased as she's understood that the work Kate is doing now is unlikely to put Castle in the path of a bullet and that her future grandchild will be out of the range of fire as well.

When Castle retreated with the boys, a few members of the press had already made an appearance. A group of hard-core Castle groupies was also setting up mock nuptials at a picnic area. Castle suspects that the drinks there will have anything but a sobering effect.

Morty put on six extra operatives plus support staff for the day, including a woman working with the catering staff and a show of brawn to keep unwelcome visitors at bay. As yet, Morty hasn't reported any signs of trouble, but he's assured Castle that his people are on the alert.

The social media are also buzzing with detailed analyses - almost all of them entirely spurious - comparing Castle's marriages to Meredith and Gina to his marriage to Kate. There are even feature by feature comparisons of the faces and figures of the three women. Castle pictures fans running around with tape measures. He imagines Meredith would love it and Gina might put up with it for PR purposes. Kate - even if she weren't pregnant - would avoid that kind of assault on her privacy at all costs. Most likely, the postings are just created out of whole cloth. He can't throw too many stones. In his time following Kate around, he crafted plenty of fantasies of his own. Brian comes to the door to give Castle his last exacting inspection and instructs him and the boys to take their places.

* * *

Mayor Weldon is standing at ready to perform the ceremony. Castle's two redheads are in the front row. He can't see Kate yet, but Lanie is ready to come down the aisle ahead of her. Frank Sinatra's rendition of "Always" floats over the assemblage as Lanie begins her slow walk over the white satin that covers the closely mown grass.

Castle strains to catch sight of Kate. She finally appears on the arm of Jim Beckett. Castle is sure that he's never seen a more beautiful sight in his life, as her father delivers Kate to Castle's side. Weldon unnecessarily informs the guests of the reason why they are assembled, before inviting the couple to make their vows.

Castle can hear an unaccustomed tremor in Kate's voice as she begins.

"Richard Edgar Castle, even before you knew me, I clung to the comfort of your words. They were there for me through grief and loss. They inspired me to pursue a path of seeking justice. When you became my partner and my friend, you cheered me through my pain and celebrated my victories. You were strong enough to tell me what I didn't want to hear but desperately needed to know. You were patient while I found my way. You are my support, my refuge, and my love. I want nothing more than to build a future with you at my side, always."

Lost in Kate's promise, Castle feels rather than sees her slip a ring on his finger. He's jolted when Weldon urges him to speak his answer to Kate.

"Katherine Houghton Beckett, from the moment you drew me from a meaningless circle of sycophancy, I knew my life was forever changed. You challenge me to look ever more deeply into life and perceive more truths than I imagined the world could hold. You are my light, my love, and the fulfillment of my dreams. I will cherish you, support you, and face whatever the future may bring for us, at your side, always."

Castle slides a slim band on Kate's slender finger and grasps both of her hands in his as Weldon intones his authority to pronounce them husband and wife. The applause of the crowd seems far away as Castle can feel only Kates body pressing against his and her kiss on his lips.

A shouted order from one of Morty's men for everyone to get down, penetrates Castle's haze. Members of the security squad are running toward something happening in a tree, visible at a distance. A sound Castle recognizes too well as the crack of a pistol burns through the air. A figure falls from a branch and another, taller one, jumps down after him and checks on the fallen man before running off and disappearing into a thick grove. Castle is too far away to tell for sure, but the fleeing form appears to resemble the image that briefly appeared in the glass of the freezer case when he was buying Alexis' ice cream. What he wonders is, was the mystery intruder there to kill Kate and Castle, or to keep them from being killed? And if he was there to protect them, who the hell is he?


	26. Chapter 26

Love's Gift

Chapter 26

Castle can see Kate chafing to know what's going outside while they're sheltered behind stone walls. Sirens had heralded the arrival of the cops and Ryan and Esposito are working with them. The newlyweds and their guests had been herded into the reception hall under the watchful eyes of Morty's people. The catering staff is circulating with food and drinks, and the DJ is playing his most soothing selections. Castle has promised to update everyone as soon as he hears anything from the police, but otherwise nothing more than hushed exchanges can be heard in the cavernous the room.

Ryan and Esposito come in and signal to Castle and Kate. Esposito is terse. "We've got an ID of the guy on the ground. He's a fucking skinhead. Runs in the family. His granddaddy was a member of the clan back in the twenties, and this jerkoff is just as whacked. The thing is, Castle, he wasn't after you or Kate. He was after Weldon."

Ryan continues. "His name is Friedrich Hahn. He's been putting out racist tweets ever since Weldon was elected. The cops had picked him up before when he was spouting crazy stuff at a speech Weldon gave to the Boy Scouts. They took him to Bellevue for evaluation, but the doctors couldn't keep him beyond the 72-hour hold. Hahn must have found out that Weldon was going to be here. We located a rifle he dropped when he fell. Whoever else was in that tree, took him down before he could get off his shot. Paramedics said Hahn took one right in the nerve cluster in his shoulder. He'll probably never be able to fire a gun again - if he makes it out of jail."

Kate nods. "Mandatory sentence for attempting to kill a public official is 10-15 years."

Castle is more anxious to know what happened to their unknown guardian than to the would-be assassin. "Did you find the other guy?"

Ryan shakes his head. "In the wind. But there was a little blood on one of the branches where he must have scratched himself. There might be a DNA match."

Castle isn't sure whether to hope there will be a match or hope that there won't, but he needs to push that aside. He and Kate are married, and everyone is safe. That's more than enough cause to get the party started. He returns to the head table, taps his spoon against his glass and takes the microphone. "Beloved family, treasured friends, one of the reasons I fell in love with Kate - besides her incredible hotness - is her stubborn determination to never let the bad guys win. That's as strong today as ever. My incredible bride and I are bound in holy matrimony, and the police have determined that all of us are safe. That is more than enough reason for celebration. So eat drink and be merry." He nods to the DJ. "Let the revelries commence!" Strains of Sinatra's "The Best is Yet to Come," fill the room and Castle leads Kate to the dancefloor. One by one, couples rise from their seats to follow.

* * *

The view from the hammock Castle is sharing with Kate on Maui is perfect. Blue water laps at the shore and tropical flowers surround them in a riot of color. Since there had been no signs of any threat to Kate or to him, Morty and his security team were left behind on the mainland. The cottage he rented for their honeymoon was obtained through a third party with his and Kate's identities kept under wraps. They flew to Hawaii on the private plane of one of Castle's even richer fellow authors. No fans or paparazzi know where they are.

Finally, they have a chance to totally relax together. Almost. Castle's phone dings with a text. Damn! He should have left the thing in the house. He draws Kate closer, trying to ignore the intrusion, but the alert sounds again. He blows out a breath as he reads the message from Lanie Parish. There was a DNA match to the blood in the tree. The lab still doesn't have an ID, but it's the same parental match to Castle that Lanie found before.

Kate cups his unshaven cheek in her hand. "What is it?"

"The man who stopped the shooter at the wedding - it was my father."

Kate hitches herself up, gazing down at his face. "Well that's good, right? It puts him on the side of the anglels. And Castle, he didn't kill Hahn, he just took him out of the picture. Your dad is not some barely leashed wet boy. He knows what he's doing. He's under control - just like you are." She grins and lightly punches his arm. "At least most of the time."

The hammock sways perilously as he reaches up to flip her beneath him and hungrily presses his lips to hers. "Right now, under control is the last thing I want to be."

Kate plunges her fingers into his hair. "The last thing I want to be is on the ground, which is where we're going to end up if this hammock turns over. We could continue this someplace that won't decide to dump us on the grass."

The hammock sways again as if in warning. Deciding that discretion is the better part of valor, Castle offers Kate his hand.

* * *

Castle props himself up on his elbow next to the too empty spot beside him on the king-sized bed. Kate's standing next to a nearby table. This time, she's the one staring at her phone. Grooves flank the bridge of her nose when he asks her what's going on. She explains that progress on gathering evidence on the phony psychic syndicate has pretty much come to a halt in her absence, and it wasn't moving that fast before she and Castle left for their honeymoon either. She needs a new tack, and she can't think of one. She recalls that Martha was interested in the case, but they hadn't had much of a chance to talk about it.

Castle is not surprised that his mother would be attracted to Kate's investigation. He knows about his family on the Rodgers side. They were carnies, happily relieving their marks of their money with bogus mental readings and legerdemain. Mother even taught Alexis some of the tricks of the trade.

Kate's eyebrows rise at Castle's accounting of his maternal heritage. She wonders aloud if Martha might be helpful. Hucksters who fool the public for a living tend to be very suspicious of outsiders. With Martha's background, she might be able to gather some information that would be kept from the public and definitely from the police - if Martha is willing,

Castle is sure that his adventure-loving mother will be more than willing but warns Kate to be cautious in enlisting Martha's services if she doesn't want a full-blown sideshow moving into the loft. He describes the acting classes Martha held in his living room - complete with steaming cauldrons and wind machines. It's more than possible that Martha will set up a fortunetelling tent and Shanghai the rest of the family to serve as as shills.

Kate returns to bed, letting her brightly colored silk robe slip from her shoulders. She confesses that she's always loved circuses, especially the bareback riders. She adds that she's always wanted to get in the act herself. Pulling back the sheet that covers Castle, she straddles his hips. As he teases her breasts to attention, she takes the center ring. Her hair flies as her head falls back. With Kate's every rise and fall, he's buried more deeply within her. Seeing her teeth dig into her lip as she struggles for completion, he reaches for the intimate key to propelling her over the edge. She bucks wildly under his touch, before collapsing to lie panting against his bare chest, even as his own release leaves him breathless. He wraps his arms around her still-heaving body. "Best ride I've ever seen."


	27. Chapter 27

Love's Gift

Chapter 27

The last time Castle saw his mother's eyes light up the way they are now was when she snagged a role her archrival Madge had coveted. She's already considering just how she'll weasel herself in with the phony psychic crowd. The fact that she's been away from the stage for a while will help. She can claim to be hard up for money after being put on a soul-strangling stipend by her rich but selfish son. After receiving the bills for the time his mother and Alexis spent in Europe, Castle had fleetingly considered tightening the purse strings, but the diva's increasing support of Kate had opened his heart - and his wallet.

Kate proposes that Martha make contact by applying for a job on a psychic hotline that has been tied to criminal activities. They're accepting applications on a website which promises interviews to qualified candidates. After some help from Castle at crafting her pitch, Martha retreats to her room to consider an appropriate costume for her photo.

Kate turns to Castle as an anguished yell blares from the computer on his desk. "Sam Kinison?"

Castle shrugs. "That's an alert from the FBI. His signature scream is what they've made me want to do sometimes." He checks the text on his screen. "Kate, this is worthy of a scream. Bracken's been subpoenaed to testify at a Senate hearing on drugs. He'll be out of jail - at least for a day."

Kate pales but assures Castle that the former Senator will be restrained and guarded. His hands fist. "Yeah, so was Hal Lockwood."

* * *

Castle is ignoring C-Span's reputation for excellence in combating insomnia. Kate never wants to lay eyes on Bracken again, even on a TV screen. She's sequestering herself at City Hall. Castle can't blame her for that, but he wants to follow every minute of the proceedings. Not only would he like to see the fallen legislator roasted over hot coals by his former colleagues, but he needs to know that the man will be delivered back behind bars - for good. It won't be as satisfying as seeing Bracken burned alive or slowly immersed in a vat of fuming sulfuric acid would be, but it will be better than nothing.

The beginning of the broadcast is snooze-worthy, with the chairman and ranking member of the Judiciary Committee making opening statements that have more to do with their personal political agendas than any enlightenment the hearing might bring about crime prevention.

Castle doesn't know whether to laugh or cry when Bracken swears to tell the truth. He's not sure the son of a bitch would even know how. Bracken reads his own statement, obviously crafted to cast himself in a favorable light as a man of the people who just chose the wrong path. Castle's glad he didn't make popcorn. Hearing the words ooze out of Bracken's mouth is putting his stomach in revolt.

The first questioner, Kammy Barris, is a junior senator who spent 10 years as a prosecutor. It's evident that she's heard every excuse that street slime scraped out of the gutter can make and she's not buying a word Bracken says. She's more interested in what he knows about routes for bringing drugs into the United States. Bracken blames the establishment of the steady flow of heroin from Afghanistan on Dick Coonan. What he says is not entirely untrue. He's mixing in just enough truth to make his lies more convincing. Good liars always do. Castle moans as another Senator begins to bluster about the shameful state of morality in the country that causes the devil to come in with narcotics and all manner of sin. He's about to turn off the sound when the apoplectic senator jumps out of his chair and tries to duck under the table. Terrified pandemonium emanates from the TV, but the camera hasn't shifted, and Castle can't see what's causing the panic.

He switches to a cable news station where a "Breaking News," banner is just appearing. A reporter is delivering a shaky stand-up about a violent disturbance in a committee hearing. The journalist has no details but promises to report as soon as he does.

* * *

Castle can tell the talking head is vamping, giving a hastily assembled history of Senator Bracken and his mountain of misdeeds. Castle could give her more than a few other sordid details about Bracken but isn't about to move until the reporter from DC returns to the screen. The half-hour seems like years, but the banner finally flashes again. The journalist reports that aided by a former staffer and some others who are as yet unidentified, Bracken attempted to escape. Apparently, some kind of flash grenades were set off in the committee room and the adjoining hallways. Castle can't help grimly noting that Bracken was repeating what worked with Lockwood. Bracken fled from the room. He'd made it as far as an exit from the building when witnesses heard a single shot, which is assumed to have come from a high-powered rifle. The Capitol Police have yet to confirm it, but the preliminary report is that William Bracken is dead and the men who aided in his escape were captured. The investigators have no clues to the identity of whoever fired the fatal bullet, but a search is underway.

Castle is not about to believe Bracken is dead until he can see a picture of the bastard's body - preferably sliced open on an autopsy table with his ID confirmed with fingerprints and DNA. Right now he needs a scotch- maybe more than one.

* * *

A week later, when Kate returns to the loft from work, she relates to Castle how Lanie handed her a file, explaining that it took a lot of work on her friend's part part and it didn't hurt that Lanie used to date someone who works in the DC Medical examiner's office. The pages contain every detail of Bracken's autopsy including the condition of his teeth, and the prison breakfast in his stomach. The match on both his fingerprints and is DNA is positive. Lanie also she did an extra check of her own, running a picture of the body through facial recognition. The puppet master will never be pulling anyone's strings again.

* * *

Kate snuggles into Castle's shoulder as he stares at the ceiling of their bedroom. "You saw the file, Castle. Bracken really is dead."

Castle assures her that he knows that. He trusts Lanie. He's just wondering who sent Bracken to hell.

Kate sits up, gazing down at him. "It sounds like you have a theory. You feel like sharing it?"

He pulls himself up against the backboard and confides that he's pretty sure there's only one person who could have pulled off something like that and escaped the police without leaving a clue.

Kate brushes a strand of hair from his forehead. "You think it's your father, don't you?"

He draws her into his arms, feeling the silkiness of her hair against his neck. "I do. But Kate, the thing is, if I had the skills he does, I would have done it myself without a second thought. If my father did kill Bracken, it wasn't a murder. It was an execution, one that really should make the world sleep more soundly tonight. I can't be sorry that he did it."

He can see the understanding in Kate's eyes as she looks up at him. "I know, Castle, I know."


	28. Chapter 28

Love's Gift

Chapter 28

Castle gazes at the stacks of boxes ready to be picked up by "Two Starving College Students with a Truck." Tomorrow will be the day he's been dreading; his little girl will be a college woman. It's not that she'll be that far away, only about 9 miles. She was thousands of miles away in Europe, but he always knew she would be coming back. She'll be home from Columbia on winter and spring breaks and possibly over the summer, but when she graduates, she'll be moving on to another chapter. That could be medical school, law school or some yet unanticipated career, but whatever she chooses, she'll be even more removed from his daily existence. He's proud of her and happy that she's taking the next step in her life, but he'll still miss her - a lot.

He'll be far from short of the responsibilities of fatherhood. Once the baby comes, the only thing he expects to be short of is sleep. Kate is planning to take maternity leave, but no more than a few months. Even then she'll be keeping abreast of the evidence uncovered by the task force. He really can't picture her doing otherwise. Even if Johanna's death was the original driving force in Kate's quest for justice, the obsession is now irretrievably ingrained. He loves his warrior wife for that. He's always loved her fighting spirit, but it may complicate child-rearing a bit. He doesn't expect Kate to abandon him and the child they now know will be a son, the way Meredith fluttered away from him and Alexis. Kate will put her heart into parenting as much as she does everything else, but Castle suspects that the everyday lost toys and banged up knee emergencies will fall primarily on him.

With Alexis leaving, there's comfort in that. The trips to the park where he picks up the rhythm of conversation and the wondrous views of the world through a child's eyes, will all be happening again. He's looking forward to them.

Kate's ring tone chimes from his phone. It's unusual for her to call him in the middle of the morning. Usually, she's meeting with her team. His mother has been arrested! She'd been picked up when the owner of a coffee shop complained that she was disturbing his customers by offering psychic readings. Kate had received a courtesy call from the desk sergeant at the 12th who knew that the collar was her mother-in-law.

Castle shakes his head. He was worried about Alexis growing up too fast. He should have been worrying about his mother not growing up at all. Well, Mother's bailed him out a time or two. He can return the favor.

* * *

Mother is more angry than repentant. As far as she's concerned, she was merely getting in character for her undercover role with the psychic syndicate. Apparently, the officers who arrested her were new transfers to the 12th and had no idea who she was. When she tried to explain, they joked about taking her to Bellevue instead of to booking.

Castle intends to have a little talk with Captain Gates about that. No matter how little the iron ruler of the precinct thinks of Castle, he knows that she won't countenance any less than respectful behavior from the cops under her command. She'd made that clear on numerous occasions. But any discussion with Kate's old boss can wait. He wants to get Martha back to the loft. He needs to call his lawyer about getting any charges dismissed. And there's the family dinner to celebrate Alexis' last night before moving to her dorm. He's reserved a table at Q3 - not an easy thing to do, even if he and Kate do have an in with the owner.

Mother's fury is receding as they walk back to the loft. She announces that she has committed every element of her reprehensible treatment at the hands of the N.Y.P.D. to her sense memory in her continuing efforts to perfect her craft. Castle inquires whether she still intends to follow through on working undercover for Kate. If anything his mother's enthusiasm has grown. She's planning to show the police how true investigatory work is accomplished. Castle is beginning to feel sorry for the criminals Hurricane Martha is determined to bust.

* * *

Maddie Queller's chef extraordinaire, Jennifer Wong, has gone all-out preparing the meal for Clan Castle. The amuse bouches are a tantalizing start to the meal. The salads are topped with meaty sautéed mushrooms, and the spicy roast is tender enough to fall apart at a whisper. Maddie has provided nonalcoholic wine for Kate and Alexis, while the robust red house wine has been poured for Castle and Martha.

Alexis is unusually subdued. When Castle asks her what's wrong, she protests that it's nothing. A skeptical look from her grandmother extracts the truth. She admits that she's feeling nervous about going to a school like Columbia. After she was rejected for early admission by Stanford, she began to realize that at Marlowe, she was a big fish in a small pond. She was the smartest kid in most of her classes, and when she wasn't the quickest, she was the hardest worker. At Columbia, every kid will have been the brightest. Every kid will have worked hard. There will be Merit Scholars and Intel Science Talent Search competitors. She's not sure she'll measure up.

More than that, many of the other students will be arriving with a full-blown passion, like her father has for writing, or her grandmother has for acting. She likes a lot of subjects. She's outstanding at a lot of subjects. But the only thing she was passionate about was getting into the college of her choice. Now that she's done that, she's not sure what her next step will be. She barely knows what classes she wants to take the first semester.

Castle opens his arms to his daughter, whispering into her hair. "You know, I may have known I wanted to be a writer, but it doesn't mean I'm the best at it. If it did, I'd have nothing more to learn. I can't imagine anything more boring than that. And look at your Gram. She's still working every day at being an actress. That's what got her arrested. And Kate's become a different kind of detective. In life, you have to keep growing, and you're going to make mistakes - especially if you take after me. It took me three tries to find the love of my life. You will find your passion. It may not be in your first semester at Columbia. It may not even be by your last semester. You may stumble into it in some internship you get after you graduate. But whenever and wherever you find it, I know you'll take hold of it with both hands, because that's what our family does. And when you do, the world will experience the full power of the amazing woman that is Alexis Castle.

Castle feels Alexis relax against his chest. This is what being a father is all about. No matter how mature and accomplished Alexis becomes, she will always be his little girl. He can't wait to find out what it will be like when he and Kate raise their son.


	29. Chapter 29

Love's Gift

Chapter 29

Castle had been sitting in the back of the courtroom for most of the day, finding respite only from his walk to a food truck for soup and a sandwich of questionable content. His mood improves as Kate slides in beside him and asks if there's been any mention of Martha. He's about to answer when the prosecution beats him to it, calling his mother as her next witness.

On advice from the A.D.A, the color palette of Mother's couture has been muted for the occasion. As she's sworn in, Castle suspects that her demeanor has been adopted from a part that she played in _Lions of the Law_ two years before. Her posture is less than its usual perfection, and her solemnity is impressive. Her voice has also dropped about half an octave.

The prosecutor starts establishing her foundation by having Martha explain her family background and how she came to insinuate herself into the psychic network. Castle had helped her craft her narrative, and as usual, she has her lines down perfectly. Her actor's observational skills enter the game again when she answers the prosecutor's questions about what she saw and heard and the instructions she received. Castle knows the hard part will be coming in cross-examination.

He recognizes the counsel for the defense, Pierson Morgan, as having served as the attorney for suspects in several of the homicide cases Castle worked with Kate. His one-word description of the man would be "snake," and he could easily add less printable ones. He just hopes Mother can keep her cool.

Morgan starts out by asking about Martha Rodgers as an actress, urging her to detail her history. He stops her about a tenth of the way into her credits, to begin his attack, demanding that she tell him if actors are professional liars.

Castle grabs Kate's hand and watches anxiously while his mother answers. He shouldn't have worried. He's heard the speech before. It's pretty much Mother's creed. She explains that the purpose of art is to expose truths. When she plays a role, she becomes the character to portray a higher truth to the audience. She posed as a charlatan to the frauds at the psychic network to bring the truth to the people of New York - and that's exactly what she's doing.

Castle gleefully notes the faint sheen of sweat forming above Morgan's collar as the jury looks on in rapt attention. Martha Rodgers has delivered another flawless performance.

* * *

Alexis arrives at the loft just in time for the celebration of her Gram's triumph, and like most college students, to get a free meal. And she's brought a friend. Castle regards his daughter's companion across a pan of lasagna, which Kate is managing to portion out with extreme skill that allows no cheese to fall or sauce to drip. Cary Edelman is not leading man material. His hair is slightly overlong, curling over the edges of his collar. His eyes, behind heavy black-framed glasses, are too close to his nose, but bright and alert. He has the long fingers of a musician. In the course of what he hopes is a subtle interrogation, Castle discovers that Cary and Alexis met when she was seraching for the soundproofed rooms in the music building where students can practice their instruments. Like Alexis, he's studied violin. Although his passion is for physics, he still enjoys playing music.

Alexis grins as she points out that Einstein loved to play his violin as well.

Cary quickly interjects that he's no Einstein, but he does lean toward the theoretical, with a particular fascination for the multiplicity of dimensions that arises out of string theory. He's also exploring the possibilities of pocket universes.

As a sci-fi devotee, Castle loves the sound of that and bounces several plot lines off the young man. Cary is respectfully polite but still manages to point out several technical errors in Castle's imaginings. Kate manages to keep the conversation from going too far toward the barrier at the edge of the universe by reminding Castle of the chocolate blackout cake for dessert. Castle comments that Castle Junior seems to be inheriting both Kate's sweet tooth and his own. Mother, always Mother, cautions him that while Kate may be eating for two, he isn't.

Castle refuses to be fazed, inquiring of Cary whether it might be possible to create a universe in which chocolate is a staple. When the young man quips that it already seems to be one in at least one of the dorms at Columbia, Castle decides that he might even like the budding scientist - unless he does something to hurt Alexis. Then Castle might have to consider Gina's favorite threat of honey on the eyeballs and anthills.

Castle cuts the evening short when he can see that Kate is flagging. She's worked even harder than Martha has to tie up the psychic syndicate case and he can see it catching up with her. Still buoyant, Mother uncharacteristically volunteers to help with the dishes.

When Castle is finished cleaning up, he finds Kate sitting on the couch in front of the TV with her feet up on an ottoman. She's beginning to catch up on all the episodes of Temptation Lane she's missed during the week. It's far from Castle's favorite source of soapiness, but since he and Kate solved a murder on the set, he's developed a certain affection for the show - as long as he doesn't find his mother necking with its longstanding star, Lance Hastings, again. Eww!

Castle plops down beside Kate, satisfaction spreading through him as she leans into his shoulder. He notes that the writers are repeating themselves. The heroine has just been kidnapped and trapped in a cave with wild animals. They're wolves, rather than the bears his mother was trapped with during her sojourn on the show, but it's otherwise a redux.

While he's noticed that many of his fellow authors write the same book over and over, just changing a detail here and there, and still keep making the best-seller list, he prides himself on originality. He hates telling the same story twice. That may be why he turns out fewer books per year than many of his compatriots - that and all the time he spends trying to solve genuine mysteries. But he's fine with that. In their own way, his books have integrity.

It will be even harder to keep up his output when the baby comes. What he does write in a bleary-eyed sleepless haze, may not make it past the critical eye of the editorial staff at Black Pawn. He's toiling as hard as he can now, to develop work he can submit during the first few months after his son's birth. His publisher will be happy, and he'll be able to spend as much time as possible with mother and child. His hand finds its way to Kate's belly. His son is kicking. The boy may end up with his mother's prowess at the martial arts. Or he may like, like Castle, end up falling on his ass the one and only time he tries to kick a football. It won't matter. Athlete or klutz, the boy will be stupendous. How could he not be? He'll be Kate's son. And the Rodgers and mystery man genes he gets from Castle won't be so bad either.


	30. Chapter 30

Love's Gift

Chapter 30

"Your brow is wrinkly," Castle notes as Kate drags through the door of the loft. Problem with your new case?"

Kate admits that she's not sure. Her major person of interest is named Harris Edelman, and she's wondering if he might be related to Alexis' boyfriend. She's going to do more investigating to find out.

Another plan immediately jumps into Castle's head. As a supporter of the New York Philharmonic, he can get VIP tickets to concerts. He and Kate could invite Alexis and Cary along and do some casual chatting about family black sheep over a late supper afterward. It shouldn't be too hard to encourage Cary to contribute to the conversation. It might turn out that the only blot on his family escutcheon is someone who failed calculus. Castle knows he's convinced Kate when he adds that Wynton Marsalis will be guesting with the prestigious orchestra the following night. Kate has to admit that enjoying the soulful sounds of the trumpet virtuoso is a much more attractive prospect than pursuing a genealogical search.

Castle immediately decides to call his daughter to issue the invitation. Alexis sounds a little breathless, but Castle prefers to believe, even if Cary is right there that her condition results from a run across the quad rather than some more hormonally based activity. The young couple is delighted to go to the concert. Cary adds that he is especially interested in the Marsalis family because he attended a short course taught by Wynton's father Ellis, in New Orleans. Castle locks gazes with Kate, giving her a thumbs-up.

* * *

Castle can see Cary fingering an imaginary violin during the opening strains of Leopold Mozart's Trumpet Concerto in D-major. Castle might have preferred something a little less tame than what wowed audiences in 1762, and he suspects Kate would as well, but Alexis is as much into the music as her boyfriend is, which bodes well for the evening. The orchestra gets full use from Marsalis, adding trumpet concertos by both Michael Hayden and Vivaldi, as well as some jazz into the program. Most of the pieces seem to make considerable use of the string section, which is an added attraction for both Alexis and Cary. It also seems to spark their appetites, not that for a couple of college students that would be necessary.

Castle is thankful for his reservation at Lincoln Center Cookery. The music appears to have made the entire concert-going crowd ravenous. He'll be ignoring the wine list for another few months, but the food is excellent and the conversation even better. Kate starts her narrative about her case with the mystery of a tiny scrap of heavily varnished wood that though charred, had managed to escape complete destruction in the fire at 1PP. According to plan, she adds that analysis had shown it to be maple.

Cary offers that violins are often partially constructed of maple and would be varnished. Without any further prompting, he adds that his cousin Harris, a violinist who as yet hasn't made it beyond the second chair, had been questioned in a murder. He says that as far as he knows, the investigation came to a halt after the fire, but that he finds the man creepy. Apparently, his parents do too, because they've always steered Cary away from him at family functions. Castle can feel relief flooding through his veins. If Alexis' love interest is related to a murderer, at least he hasn't had much to do with him. He eyes the dessert tray as it goes by on its way to another table. After that encouraging revelation, an éclair would be a lovely ending to the meal. He can see Kate's gaze longingly following the cherry cheesecake.

* * *

Castle finishes writing the last few pages of a chapter before climbing into bed next to Kate. Her eyes open as he slips in beside her. "Babe, I have a lot of things to check out yet, but Cary's cousin Harris really could be the murderer."

Castle reminds her that she hasn't told him much about the case. She explains that the victim was Rance Davis, the owner of a pawn shop. Apparently, Harris had temporarily fallen on hard times and had hocked a violin. He managed to redeem it, but then claimed that Davis had substituted an inferior instrument for the one he had pawned. He even filed a complaint against Davis, but nothing came of it. As far as her team was able to determine, Harris had returned to the pawn shop several times and threatened Davis. Davis had been killed in his apartment in Soho, but there was no evidence that Harris had been there. Except for the remaining scrap of wood, most of the evidence found at the scene had been destroyed. There's a digital copy of the case file, but there's no record of any fingerprints except Davis' being found at the crime scene.

Castle inquires how Davis was killed. According to Kate, the M.E on the case. which was Perlmutter, declared Davis a victim of blunt force trauma, but he never identified the murder weapon. So far there isn't nearly enough to nail down a suspect, but her team is going to widen the scope of the investigation to anyone they can find who knew Davis.

Castle wonders out loud if there's a good chance that Harris Edelman had nothing to do with Davis' death.

Kate agrees that it's possible, but until she finds someone else with a serious motive, she likes Harris for the crime.

* * *

Castle jolts into consciousness and grabs his watch from the bedside table to check the time. It's 3 a.m. Predictably, he can hear Kate in the bathroom. Her absence from their bed is probably what woke him up. But now that he is awake, his mind is spinning. As a fan of a pawn shop reality show, he'd been dreaming about the myriad strange articles that might have, at one time or another, come in and out of Rance Davis' possession. There were a lot of things that he would have loved to explore - collectible comics and vintage toys - but none of those could qualify as a murder weapon.

When a still half-asleep Kate pads back to bed, he asks if there are records of what merchandise went in and out of Davis' operation. Yawning, Kate says there aren't any in the file, but she's sure she can find out. She settles back between the sheets, her back against his chest. At least he can still get his arms around her - and little whatever his name will be - but sleep isn't going to come to him anytime soon. A scenario for the killing of Rance Davis is forming in his head. He climbs out of bed to purge his mind by getting the story on paper. Even if it doesn't prove out to be true, he can always use it in a book sometime. Kate has already fallen back asleep, and he slips out of bed as gently as he can to avoid disturbing her.

Somehow it doesn't feel right to put the notes on his laptop. He feels an urge to go back to the days when he filled an endless stack of traditional composition books with his imaginings. He still keeps a few of the notebooks in his desk. Leaning back in his office chair, he begins to commit his theory to the comfortingly familiar wide-ruled pages.


	31. Chapter 31

Love's Gift

Chapter 31

Castle is poring over the transactions in Rance Davis' shop in the months before he died. It's amazing how many of them there are, but he shouldn't be surprised. Predatory payday loan stores have been springing up like weeds. For those who don't even have a payday, a pawnbroker could be their last resort.

Most of what he sees - jewelry, autographs, stamp collections - could never serve as a murder weapon. He's looking for something big and heavy enough to bash Davis' head in and making notes detailing the few possibilities he finds. There are trophies which are sculptures of solid metal. Then there are also sculptures themselves. Most of the sports memorabilia, like baseball card collections and signed foul balls, is out of the running, but there are a couple of baseball bats. He has his doubts about those. Perlmutter might be more into the Wagner who wrote the Der Ring des Nibelungen than famous slugger Honus Wagner, but he can spot the characteristic imprint of a bat at 10 paces. The much more likely tool for dispatching Rance Davis is something more artful, but with an unrecognizable silhouette. He looks over the listings he's made again. Some of the statuary is of people of considerable fame, but other pieces are of personages obscure enough to escape even Perlmutter's recognition. Those sculptures are described as being accepted for the scrap value of the metal.

Castle quickly tallies how many loan seekers pawned John Nobody metallic artistry. The number only comes to five. They shouldn't be too hard for Kate and her team to check out. He emails her his list.

He has work of his own to do that he pushed back in favor of Kate's mystery, and the task of possibly clearing Cary's cousin. Whether Harris Edelman is just the black sheep of Cary's family or not, it would be nice to clear up any wisps of dark clouds hovering over Alexis' rapidly budding relationship with the musical physicist. Castle has been asked to do a series of stories for an online magazine. Although it will be a new publication, it will be reminiscent of the old pulp mystery magazines of the 1940s and 50s, complete with the type of lurid art that called to randy adolescents from their covers.

He loves having the opportunity to write gritty tales of private detectives who swung their fists hard and drank even harder. He adores the language and the fact that cases will have to be solved without the use of computers or video. Some real gumshoeing, with bad guys lurking around every corner, will be required as his hero pursues his quarries. He'll also be creating some interesting female characters. They'll be plucked more from the forties, where wartime women could still pack a punch and spout snappy come backs, than the 50s when "Eek, eek! Save me, save me!" bimbos emerged. He pictures his heroines like Kates - Hepburn or Beckett. He already has one in mind.

Unlike crafting his books, he'll be able to work on the stories during the brief periods while the baby is napping, or Kate is nursing him. Alexis has offered to babysit her new brother as well, which could come in very handy. Mother's also declared that she'll want to spend some time with her new grandson, but she's up for a significant role in a musical that could tour. Castle isn't counting on the actress being able to stay in New York.

He starts his first story about Drake Bentley. The fictional hard-boiled private detective left the New York police force to fight the Nazis. When he returned from the war, he opened his own office. He'd had in mind serving fellow grunts who'd been wronged or ripped off in some way - until a familiar dame comes to his office door. He recognizes Grace Hooper as one of the beauties from a USO tour, and she hasn't lost an ounce of allure. Castle doesn't intend for Grace to have lost any of her toughness either. She and Drake will become quite a pair.

Grace came to Drake to track down a 1928 Porter. It's her father's pride and joy, but it was stolen while she was away during the war. Her father is declining and keeps flashing back to memories of his youth driving that car. Grace believes it will make his final days brighter if she can locate it for him.

Castle has to figure out clues that won't require modern forensics. He can use fingerprints, of course, but DNA is out. The only thing a lab will be able to determine from blood will be the type. Drake will have a manly gun, a 45. Grace will pack as well, a Derringer that she can hide in the most fascinating places, much like how Kate used to stow her badge when she was undercover.

Drake and Grace are on the hunt for a specialty car theft ring and the wealthy collectors it serves. Castle's just describing a hidden underground garage when Kate returns from work. He can immediately see the glow she radiates when she's hot on the trail. She explains that one of the names on Castle's list is in the system. Keith Warren got into a bar fight and crowned a history professor with a barstool after insisting that the man knew nothing about the Battle of Bunker Hill. Warren served five years in prison, a few months before being sent to a halfway house and taking a job as a janitor in a private library. She's wondering if Castle would like to go with her to see him when he gets off work the next day.

Castle is enthusiastic to partner with Kate in the field again but is determined to do a little research first - after he feeds his very pregnant wife. Kate hasn't expressed any unusual cravings, but lately, she has been on a red meat kick. Getting just the right sear on a steak is not among her many skills, so he's taken it upon himself to make sure that she can truly enjoy the best his very expensive butcher has to offer. Kate, on the other hand, is a master when it comes to avocados. Somehow, she manages to get the pit out and produce perfect wedges without any of them looking more like guacamole. Castle's bribed the local bakery to keep the cherry cheesecake coming.

* * *

Castle's post-dinner research reveals why Keith Warren might be interested in early American history. A doctor named Joseph Warren was a prominent but largely unheralded figure in the colonial era. He was an associate of John Adams, John Hancock, and Samuel Addams. His writings served as a blueprint for American government. He is even credited with sending Paul Revere on his famous ride. Unfortunately, he stayed at the Battle of Bunker Hill after he had run out of ammunition and was killed. His martyrdom did serve as an inspiration for the troops, but since he was no longer around to be an official founding father, he is mostly forgotten.

Castle wonders if an artist of the time might have admired Warren enough to immortalize him in metal. Warren's face isn't on a coin and would not make an imprint that would be recognizable, even to Perlmutter. Castle theorizes that Warren's accomplishments became the obsession of his stool-swinging descendant. He can't wait to watch Kate ferret out the truth.


	32. Chapter 32

Love's Gift

Chapter 32

Keith Warren is showing all the classic signs of nervousness. He's shifting in his chair and twisting the edge of his shirt in his fingers. Castle can tell that Kate can see it too. She's keeping her voice low and nonthreatening - at least for now. If she thinks Warren's lying, Castle expects that she'll come down on her suspect like a ton of bricks. Her pregnancy is making her even more assertive - if that's even possible.

Warren admits having hocked a bronze bust at the Davis pawn shop and also getting it back. He points to a shelf where the statuary sits, explaining that he redeemed it as soon as he had the money. Kate gently convinces him that she understands why he wouldn't want to part with a piece of such deep historical significance.

The man immediately opens up about his vaunted ancestor, proclaiming that without Joseph Warren there might not even be a United States of America. Kate uses the details Castle dug up about Joseph Warren's contributions to liberating the colonies, to further gain Keith Warren's trust. Castle can see the anger rising in Keith's eyes as he confides to Kate that Rance Davis was so ignorant that he suggested that Keith could get more money for the bust by taking it to a metal recycler. Keith is flushed and sweating, and his hands are curled into fists by the time he finishes recounting his interaction with the pawnbroker. Kate thanks him for his time and gestures to Castle to head for the door.

When they're outside, Castle offers that he could practically see Keith reliving the murder of Rance Davis, as he spoke. Kate agrees, but wonders how they can prove Keith is the killer. She doesn't have anything approaching enough evidence to get a search warrant for the bust of Joseph Warren, and without one, they can't prove that it was the murder weapon.

Grinning, Castle proposes that they stage a little drama. He has an old boarding school buddy, Laddie Makepeace, who works at the Colonial Culture Society. Laddie owes him a favor concerning an adventure with an overly amorous young lady and Castle's subsequent rescue. He can talk Laddie into giving a lecture with a negative slant on Joseph Warren, and they can make sure that Keith Warren gets a ticket. Kate can have a cop standing by as the scenario plays out. With some luck, Warren will lose his cool enough to issue threats or better still, do something to get himself arrested on the spot. That should give Kate enough ammunition to convince a judge to grant her request.

Kate is doubtful but admits that she can't think of anything better, except for planting a couple of plainclothes cops from the task force in the audience of the lecture, so that Keith won't see any uniforms. If it comes down to it, it won't hurt that Laddie is a student of colonial hand to hand combat techniques. If Keith tries to attack him, he can defend himself until Kate's cops can intervene.

* * *

Arranging Laddie's little piece of theater took a lot longer than Castle thought it would, but he and Kate arrive on a Saturday morning at the centuries-old house in the Bowery that serves as Colonial Culture Society headquarters. Kate's shills are already there, sitting on the aisle in the third and fourth rows of the presentation room. Eager to play his role, Laddie is outfitted in the manner of dress John Adams might have affected, right down to the powdered wig and lace cuffs on his shirt.

Castle suppresses a chortle. This is going to be even better than he thought. Keith Warren is sitting in the first row, holding his bust of Joseph Warren. Kate rolls her eyes at Castle as Laddie takes the podium and thanks a patron who wishes to remain anonymous for funding an entire lecture series on the events leading up to the Revolutionary War. He begins his talk by recounting the events leading up to Paul Revere's ride, emphasizing the roles of William Dawes and Dr. Samuel Prescott and minimizing the participation of Dr. Joseph Warren.

As Laddie proceeds with his story, Castle can see the veins in Keith's neck bulge. Suddenly, Kate's suspect springs from his seat, raising the bust of Joseph Warren to use as a weapon. Laddie deftly sidesteps and lands his fist solidly on Keith's jaw, as the cops from Kate's team rush forward to make the arrest. The bust of Joseph Warren is bagged and taken for evidence. Unruffled - except for his shirt, Laddie urges his audience to remain for the rest of his presentation - including a few corrections he needs to make to the narrative he previously presented.

* * *

Castle smugly walks arm in arm with Kate from the courthouse after Keith Warren has pleaded guilty to the murder of Rance Davis and the assault of Laddie Makepeace. The killer will have decades to regale his fellow inmates at Sing Sing with tales of revolutionary times - if they don't emphatically encourage him to find another topic of conversation.

Kate's girth has widened to the extent that Castle thinks of himself as a tugboat guiding a ship to shore. Dr. Sabatini announced at Kate's last checkup that she doesn't expect that it will be long until their son decides to make his way into the world. Kate has been having contractions on and off, but she's dismissed them as Braxton-Hicks.

Castle is ready. He's been prepared for weeks. He has Kate's go-bag in the trunk, and a top-of-the-line infant safety seat is installed in the car. Even though the precautions won't be necessary for the better part of a year, He and Alexis went through their third survey of every drawer, cabinet, and electrical outlet in the loft, making sure they were thoroughly baby-proofed. He also had a contractor come and put in a nursery adjacent to the master bedroom. After double-checking that there weren't any safety recalls on it, Castle set up Alexis' old crib, which he could never bear to part with. The changing table, dresser, and baby bath are new. The baby's domain also boasts a rocking chair that belonged to Johanna Beckett and fits Kate perfectly.

The one thing he and Kate have yet to decide is what to call the baby. Kate had thought of naming their son after her father, but Jim Beckett declared that he is not fond of the custom of juniors. He'd rather his grandson have his own identity. Castle briefly suggested Cosmo, meaning order, decency, and beauty. Castle's not sure about the order part, especially on his side, but decency and beauty will flow from Kate. The meaning doesn't matter. Kate wants no part of the name. The baby books have been no help, but the couple still has some time to come up with the perfect appellation. Or do they?

Kate stops in midstride. "Castle. I'm not sure, but I think my water just broke."

Castle draws a shaky breath before sweeping her up to carry her the rest of the way to the car. He's driven through New York City traffic more times than he can count, but it has never seemed to move so slowly. He toys considers calling the 12th to beg for a police escort, but by the time he can make a convincing argument to the officer on duty, he and Kate will be almost at their destination. And in any case, he's not going to risk driving while distracted by his phone, not with the safety of Kate and his son at stake. When Castle pulls up at the hospital, the damp stain on Kate's seat confirms her condition. They are going to have a baby.


	33. Chapter 33

Love's Gift

Chapter 33

It's been five hours. From what Kate says and what Castle can tell from the fetal monitor, Kate's contractions have not yet begun in earnest. Jim Beckett was the first to arrive to start a birth-watch. He's been back and forth between Kate's room and the coffee shop, while he's been keeping tabs by phone on what's been going on at at his office.

Alexis and Cary showed up next, with a music mix that they explained is touted as creating a calming atmosphere during the birthing process. Castle has no idea what effect it might be having on Kate or the baby, but for all the calm he feels, they might as well be playing the theme from _Jaws._

Mother, who had isolated herself from all outside influences to meditate on her character, had seen Castle's text upon finally retrieving her phone. She swept into the hospital to experience every moment of the wait for her grandson. Castle can see that Kate is doing her best to be gracious to her well-wishers, but the crowd is beginning to wear on her. Fortunately, Dr. Sabatini's timely appearance to check on Kate's progress clears the room. After a quick examination, Sabatini announces that Kate is dilated three centimeters and that her labor is progressing, if slowly. As long as the baby is not in distress, she doesn't see a problem but explains that she might be able to speed up the process with pitocin. She adds a caveat that the intervention could cause some very hard contractions. Sabatini also emphasizes that if Kate wants to go that route, she can insert an epidural for pain control as well.

Kate is obviously impatient but is also embarrassed to admit that she's really nervous about needles, is especially when involving more than a quick shot or sampling of her blood. Castle finds that confession from kick-ass Kate Beckett endearing if ill-timed. Sabatini takes Kate's admission in stride and suggests that they just keep monitoring the baby and if no problem arises, they can let Kate's labor take its natural course. She also seems to be taking care to assure Kate that anytime she decides she needs something for the pain she can get it.

Almost as if the baby heard the conversation, Kate's contractions intensify a few moments after Sabatini leaves the room. Castle snaps into full coach mode, urging her to breathe with him. When the family returns, he cajoles them into waiting outside.

A nurse comes in several times to measure Kate's progress, noting that the baby now seems to be in quite a hurry. In between contractions, Castle suggests that perhaps they should name him after a marathon runner who beats the pack to the finish line with a final sprint. He's pulling out his phone to research suitable winning athletes when a glare from Kate immediately has him shoving his cell back in his pocket as fast as he can.

For a moment, he thinks he catches sight of a familiar figure passing by in the hall, but Kate grabs his hand, jerking him away from any thoughts except supporting her through her rapidly climaxing labor.

* * *

Castle can hardly think as someone slips a gown on him so he can accompany Kate to the delivery room. Sabatini is displaying a competent smile that Castle imagines has soothed hundreds of parents-to-be, as she takes her place near Kate's feet. Kate's hand is melded to Castle's, as now there is almost no break between contractions. He doesn't have to urge her to push. She's as determined about finishing the job of delivering their child as he's always known her to be about everything else. When what's-his-name emerges with no help from Sabatini except to make sure that he doesn't hit the floor, Castle proudly accepts the doctor's invitation to cut the cord.

As the baby lets out a squall, Castle quips to Kate that maybe they should have been looking at names of opera singers and suggests Enrico or Luciano. Kate comes back with her opinion that their son sounds more like the screaming Rob Halford of Judas Priest but suggests that the last thing they need is for him to live up to a name like that.

Having experienced enough sleepless nights when Alexis was a baby, Castle has to agree, but that still leaves them with Baby Boy Castle, a moniker that will not play well on the schoolyard.

* * *

Castle is heading up to the nursery to see his son. Kate is asleep. He's glad that she can finally get some rest. The flow of visitors in and out of her room had been constant for hours. Mother, Alexis, and even Jim Beckett were anxious to hold the baby. Castle had never expected the reserved lawyer to make cooing noises, but babies do have amazing effects on people. Esposito showed up at the same time as Lanie, although they both insisted that was pure coincidence. Kevin and Jenny Ryan arrived next with a musical mobile that Kevin insisted his sister swore by to ease the wails of her kids when they were infants.

There were several well-wishers from Kate's task force as well - and Laddie. Apparently aiding in the capture of a dangerous criminal was the most exciting thing that ever happened to him. Castle has no idea where his old friend might have found one, but Laddie brought an infant-sized tricorne hat to commemorate the occasion.

Castle spots a familiar figure staring at the baby through the glass, softly speaking words that Castle barely makes out. "You don't know me, and you never will. That's the way it always has to be. Any link to me will put you in danger, and I can't allow that. But I have always watched over your father, your grandmother, and your sister. I've kept an eye on your mother too. And I'll be looking out for you. You'll never know it, but Grandpa Jackson will always be out there keeping you and your family safe."

Castle watches as the tall white-haired man strides away toward a stairwell at the end of the hall. Jackson, his father's name is Jackson. He doesn't know if it's his first name or his last name, but that doesn't matter. He understands now why his father walked away from his mother, walked away from him. It still hurts, but he understands. Jackson has been willing to give up everything that most men want, for the good of his family and his country. It's a sacrifice that should be honored, and Castle knows exactly how. He just hopes that Kate will agree.

* * *

Castle wishes that he could have a master like Da Vinci to capture Kate just the way she looks at that moment. Her chair rocks gently as their son suckles at her breast. Her hair is not yet brushed, she's in a comfy but less than stylish robe, and her face is free of make-up. As she holds Jackson in her arms, no one in the world could ever look more beautiful to him. Even if he never could never sell another book, he'd still be the richest man in the world.

Finis

A/N Thank you for staying with this story. My next one will be more of an anthology. I want to do a series based on holidays with the Castle family. The universe will be the same as for this story. By my arithmetic, if Kate got pregnant around the time "Always" aired, the baby should have come sometime the following February, so I'll start with holidays in March. The first one should be Saint Patrick's Day. Join me tomorrow for "Very Castle Celebrations." Love, Sally


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